NEW YORK — xHamster researchers disclosed today that a year after Hurricane Maria made landfall, the island of Puerto Rico still lags far behind in power and internet access.
As a result, researchers said that people living in Puerto Rico are not viewing porn as much as they were before the island was devastated by the hurricane.
Researchers said that xHamster data shows traffic from the island dropping -74.1 percent in the aftermath of the storm, then gradually recovering. However, a year later traffic to the site is down by over a fifth, or -20.1 percent.
"Porn is a unique indicator in a recovery, as it's able to measure not only access to power and the internet, but privacy" says Alex Hawkins, vice president of xHamster.
"After news, adult content is one of the first types of content that users seek out when they secure regular access to power and internet. But unlike news or government sites, porn can't be accessed in public spaces like a library or shelter, so it gives remarkable insight into when a place like Puerto Rico has returned to 'normal'. In this case, we see that the recovery still has a long way to go."
Hawkins said that other locations that suffered during the 2017-8 hurricane season, like Houston, have fully bounced back or have grown.
"What we're seeing is inconsistent with some of the claims made by officials that show a full recovery in Puerto Rico. It also disproves claims that Puerto Rico's power grid erratic prior to the storm. We're still seeing a drastically different landscape on the Island than what we're hearing on the news."
