Rep. Ramos decries federal emergency relief inaction after report shows Hurricane Maria death toll nears 3,000

State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) today responded to a new report that shows Hurricane Maria is responsible for the deaths of 2,975 American citizens in Puerto Rico, becoming one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern U.S. history.

“It is an absolute travesty that Maria’s actual death count is now 46 times higher than originally reported,” said Ramos. “As an American, and as a Puerto Rican descendant, I am heartbroken by our federal government’s inaction and overall mismanagement following last September’s historic hurricane. Unless we take action to provide emergency relief, this unprecedented devastation to the island will be remembered as one of the most deadly natural disaster for American citizens.”

Rep. Ramos plans to introduce an official resolution condemning the Trump administration for its silence on this issue and nearly nonexistent relief effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Rep. Ramos is in his fourth term at the Ohio House and is the first Ohioan of Puerto Rican descent to be elected to the state’s General Assembly.