The news on Hurricane Irma is grim and worsening. The record-breaking Hurricane is described as “apocalyptic”. Here is a synopsis of Irma’s destruction: island by island.
Antigua and Barbuda
Barbuda, the first island to feel the force of Hurricane Irma was devastated by its high winds, with Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, saying 90% of buildings had been destroyed and 60% of the population of around 1,400 people left homeless.
Anguilla
One person died in the British overseas territory, said Ronald Jackson, executive director of the Caribbean disaster and emergency management agency, who added that “police stations, hospitals, school facilities, three or four emergency shelters, a home for the infirm and the aged, as well as the fire station”, along with many homes, had been damaged or destroyed.
St Martin and St Barts
The French part of the island (the southern side, St Maarten, is administered by the Netherlands) was “95% destroyed”, according to Daniel Gibb, a local official, who called it “an enormous catastrophe”.
Puerto Rico
The most recent island to be hit was Puerto Rico, where lashing winds and rains have left most of the population without power and tens of thousands without water. Images from the island showed flash flooding, and hospitals were forced to rely on generators.
St Kitts & Nevis
Prime minister Timothy Harris said St Kitts was “spared the full brunt” of Irma, but warned of “significant damage” to property and infrastructure, as well as power failures. The airport is due to reopen on Thursday.
More Hurricanes Coming Up
Irma is one of three hurricanes in the Atlantic basin, the first time since 2010 that three active hurricanes have been in the Atlantic, according to CNN Weather.
Tracking Irma
Spaghetti Models
A direct hit on Miami seems likely. Evacuation notices for Florida are readied and two more hurricanes brew in the Atlantic.
