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Puerto Rico Raises Hurricane's Official Death Count To 34

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

Gov. Ricardo Rossello also said 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.

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(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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