Hurricane Maria's lasting impact on Puerto Rico's children revealed in report

More than half the youth had a friend or family member leave the island, a study on the storm’s impact on mental health found

Amanda Holpuch and Hazar Kilani in New York
Fri 26 Apr 2019 16.00 BST Last modified on Fri 26 Apr 2019 16.41 BST

More than half of young people in Puerto Rico saw a friend or family member leave the island after Hurricane Maria, according to a study published on Friday which reveals the dramatic extent to which young Puerto Ricans were exposed to damaged homes, shortages of food and water and threats to their lives.

In contrast to most comparable disasters, the physical and mental effects of the category four storm which hit the island in September 2017 were “nearly ubiquitous regardless of geographical location or socioeconomic status”, according to a study about its impact on young Puerto Ricans published on Friday in the journal Jama Network Open.

“The magnitude was so large that all children were exposed,” said Joy Lynn Suárez, a psychology professor at Carlos Albizu University in San Juan and a report co-author.

The death toll from Maria is estimated at between 2,975 and 4,645. The storm cut nearly all communication across the island and destroyed the power grid.

Those who survived still feared for their lives. According to the new study, 30% of children reported that they perceived their lives or the lives of people they loved to be at risk – a strong predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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