A Crisis Before the Storms
By early 2017, Puerto Rico carried about $70 billion in government debt while facing a poverty rate near 45% and unemployment above the mainland U.S. level. The economy had endured a decade-long recession, and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority carried roughly $9 billion in debt.
The electrical system was already deteriorating. In 2015, the utility ran out of money to buy fuel, and later entered bankruptcy proceedings. The island’s financial distress limited its ability to repair infrastructure or respond flexibly to emergencies.
Irma and Maria
Hurricane Irma passed north of Puerto Rico on 5 September 2017, leaving about one million people without power. On 20 September, Hurricane Maria struck directly, destroying electricity, water, transportation, and communications networks.
Millions lost power for months. It took nearly a year to restore electricity across the island. The disaster triggered an exodus of about 130,000 people by December and worsened the fiscal crisis. A controversial rebuilding contract with Whitefish Energy was canceled, while later reforms moved toward privatizing electricity distribution.
Earthquakes and Water
In May 2018, the Natural Resources Defense Council rated Puerto Rico’s drinking-water system the worst in the United States under its measure, with 70% of the population living with water that violated federal law. Earthquakes in December 2019 and January 2020 knocked out power and left thousands homeless in the south.
The lesson is larger than any single hurricane. Disaster damage becomes catastrophic when debt, neglected infrastructure, and political constraints have already weakened the ground beneath society.