BP Diaz Issues Statement on Hurricane Maria Death Toll

BRONX, New York, Aug. 9 -- Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. issued the following statement on Hurricane Maria death toll in Puerto Rico:

"It has been crystal clear since just days after Hurricane Maria that we were not getting the complete story when it came to the death toll in Puerto Rico. Now, with the government of the island quietly announcing that more than 1,400 people died as a result of the storm, we know for a fact that the original estimates of the storm's devastation were so greatly underestimated that they were essentially useless.

"The people of Puerto Rico did not imagine their deceased relatives, and the original death toll estimates following the storm of just 64 were insulting to our collective intelligence. This updated number, while possibly still far too low, is at least an acknowledgment that the consequences of Hurricane Maria were far greater than President Trump and his administration have been willing to admit.

"This is President Trump's Katrina. He cannot escape that. His administration's mediocre response to the storm and its failure throughout the ongoing recovery of Puerto Rico cement that as the President's legacy to the island."