Long-Term Public Health Responses in High-Impact Weather Events: Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico as a Case Study

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis statement responds to the public health challenges in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria during September 2017. As a result of Maria, and to a certain extent Hurricane Irma, the territory sustained unprecedented damage. We call for a mid- and long-term public health response and research to assess the long-term impacts of high-impact weather events, such as Maria’s effects on Puerto Rico, including impacts on vulnerable populations’ environmental health and well-being.