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Puerto Rico raises hurricane’s official death count to 34

Posted at 8:26 PM, Oct 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-03 20:26:42-04

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The governor of Puerto Rico says the official death toll from Hurricane Maria has been increased to 34 from 16.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello also says he believes the hurricane caused $90 billion in damage across the island.

The governor made the announcement at a news conference following U.S. President Donald Trump’s short visit to the U.S. territory to assess the storm’s impact.

During his stop, Trump congratulated Puerto Ricans for avoiding a high death toll of “a real catastrophe like Katrina.” As many as 1,800 people died in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina breached levees protecting New Orleans.