AP

A new report estimates more than 4600 died in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The official death toll remains at 64.

OPINION: A long-suspected but untold truth about Hurricane Maria's enduring devastation on the US territory of Puerto Rico was broken this week with the release of a new report. 

According to Harvard University's T H Chan School of Public Health, an estimated 4645 people died in aftermath of the September 2017 storm.

The physical devastation of Maria's 280kmh winds was magnified and prolonged because so many Puerto Ricans were, for months after the storm, deprived of electricity, food, and basic medical care. 

Danielle McLaughlin: Politically, elected officials in the US appeared to pay no cost for the long and tragic legs of this Puerto Rican disaster.

And this is chiefly why the estimate of nearly 5000 souls lost far exceeds the "official" death toll of 64, which was long criticised as under-inclusive by residents and the very vocal mayor of the capital San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz.

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Before Maria hit, Puerto Rico struggled under crushing debt and failing infrastructure. But its tourism industry was buoyant, particularly due to US tourism (the flight time from New York to San Juan is three hours and the time zone is the same). 

I have taken numerous trips to the resort areas around San Juan.  A post-law school getaway (admittedly booked under the influence of tequila), a surprise long weekend for my husband's birthday, a girls' trip., a family break in the sun to escape January's cruel cold... 

Puerto Rico always welcomed me with open arms, with its turquoise seas and rough surf.  Old San Juan's narrow streets and coloured buildings.  Puerto Rican food – a blend of Latin, Caribbean, and African spices and traditions. 

And Puerto Rico feels "American."  Arriving from the airport to San Juan's hotel zone leads you past Burger Kings and English language billboards. 

The Federal District Court for the district of Puerto Rico – part of the US federal court system – sits proudly on the edge of old San Juan. The CVS chain of pharmacies has stores scattered across the island, and they provide tourists and locals with one-stop shopping for sunscreen, snacks, liquor, and wine (including memorably, an excellent Malbec that I've always returned for).  

Maria, derived from the Hebrew, means "bitterness" or "strength". Although simply an accident of the World Meteorological Organisation's naming convention, both words are apt descriptors for the storm, whose category-5 winds and storm surges lashed the island for days. 

Maria came on the heels of a number of hurricanes to hit the US in the costliest hurricane season on record. 

Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and Louisiana in late August, resulting most memorably in massive flooding in Houston.  Two weeks later, Hurricane Irma struck Florida.

But it was Maria, hitting Puerto Rico two weeks after Irma on September 20, that caused the most long-term devastation.  Why? because resources were not deployed to the island in the way they were deployed to the mainland. 

Emergency food packages sent by the US government contained only packaged junk food.  A US law requiring only American-owned vessels to ship goods to the island was eventually waived eight days after the hurricane, increasing the volume of ships and aid that could be sent, but was reinstated 10 days later. 

Restoring basic services to Puerto Rico households took forever.  A month and a half after Maria, 59 per cent  of households remained without electricity and some 17 per cent had no access to drinking water. 

This week, as the 2018 hurricane season opens, 11,0000 households are still without electricity. Heartbreaking stories abound of diabetics and cancer sufferers sweltering in the heat, and families having to choose between powering a fan and keeping food cold.

Politically, elected officials in the US appeared to pay no cost for the long and tragic legs of this Puerto Rican disaster.  In comparison, George W Bush's bungled efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 followed him around like a dark cloud for years.  

But perhaps the political amnesia surrounding Puerto Rico is only temporary.  One massive side effect of Maria's devastation was a surge in Puerto Ricans relocating to the US mainland. 

Over 100,000 have arrived so far, and telephone polling indicates that this exodus is far from over.  These people are all American citizens, and they will have a chance to show their displeasure by voting in the upcoming midterm elections. 

One hundred thousand votes might not seem like much, but it was more than enough to swing the 2016 presidential election.

Follow Danielle on Twitter: @MsDMcLaughlin 

 - Sunday Star Times