On Wednesday, Hurricane Irma slammed into Barbuda; St. Martin/Sint Maarten; St. Kitts and Nevis; and Anguilla. Pounding the islands in its path with maximum sustained winds of almost 300 km per hour and high storm surges, it is projected to continue on its current path to the British Virgin Islands and northern Puerto Rico, according to NPR.com.
The US National Hurricane Center is calling Hurricane Irma "potentially catastrophic" and said the storm is now on a likely collision course with the Turks and Caicos Islands; the southeastern Bahamas; and Florida, with a possible landfall in Florida expected this weekend.
In total, areas impacted by the hurricane include Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Martin/Sint Maarten, St. Barts, the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border with Haiti, Guadeloupe, the southeastern Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Sint Maarten/St. Martin sustained significant damage, including wind damage and flooding and power outages on St. Martin and St. Bart's and at least two people have died.
According to The Independent, French interior minister Gerard Collomb has said that some of St. Martin's most solid buildings have been destroyed.
"We know that the four most solid buildings on the island have been destroyed which means that more rustic structures have probably been completely or partially destroyed," Collomb told reporters.
The Curacao Chronicle is reporting that the storm ripped through Princess Juliana International Airport, destroying part of the terminal, safety fences and aircraft. Parts of the terminal building have been strewn across the runway, and a jet bridge snapped in half. Nearby Maho beach, one of the most famous airport beaches in the world, was battered, sending sand and huge rocks across the airport property, with some rocks apparently striking airplanes on the tarmac.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne had earlier announced that the islands have been largely spared from major destruction, as no deaths had been reported, and all guests staying in local hotels had been reported safe. However, that soon changed as reports came in that Barbuda was hit quite severely, according to CNN, with some reports saying the destruction of the island could be upwards of 90 per cent.
The tiny island, was "so badly damaged that there is no communication" from the island, said Keithley Meade, director of a meteorological office in Antigua and Barbuda. Communication with Barbuda had been lost since approximately 12:30 AM Wednesday morning but the Antigua Observer is reporting that Prime Minister Browne has travelled to Barbuda and has reported one fatality and widespread damage.
"The extent of the destruction on Barbuda is unprecedented." Browne said, estimating the damage on Barbuda to be in the range of $150 million US.
"Barbuda right now is literally a rubble," Browne told an interviewer with ABS TV/Radio Antigua in the video below.
VIDEO: In this detailed video interview with ABS Television, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne describes the devastation he witnessed when visiting Barbuda earlier today.(Video courtesy of ABS TV)
"The entire housing stock was damaged," Browne said after visiting the island of 1,800. "It is just a total devastation."
A release from Anguilla said that Hurricane Irma passed over the northern Caribbean island early Wednesday, bringing with it heavy rains and strong winds and fortunately, there are no reports of loss of life.
Anguilla's Clayton J Lloyd International Airport did not sustain any serious damage, but it has not yet reopened and both the Blowing Point and Road Bay seaports will also remain closed until further notice.
From all preliminary reports it appears that the major resorts are relatively intact, although many private residences sustained some damage. The Anguilla Tourist Board will continue to monitor the on-island situation and issue specific property updates as more details become available.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization released a full statement about Hurricane Irma:
"As Hurricane Irma churns its way towards the northern Leeward Islands and the northern Caribbean, including the Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti as a dangerous category 5 storm, the Caribbean Tourism Organization expresses concern for residents and visitors in the countries that are in the hurricane's projected path, and pray that the impact will be reduced. We have been in contact with our members and they assure us that they have been taking all the necessary steps to ensure that they are in a state of readiness. We take this storm seriously. The safety of the Caribbean's citizens and our visitors is the number one concern for the authorities and emergency response teams throughout the region."
For those in Florida, Governor Rick Scott is warning people to heed any evacuation orders, as it will be possible to rebuild houses, but life is far more precious. Florida's Key West area also ordered a mandatory evacuation.
More Hurricane Irma Coverage
Airlines Making Changes
As a result of the major storm, airlines are watching the warnings from the National Hurricane Center in order to keep passengers safe through delays and cancellations. Most carriers have activated flexible rebooking policies for passengers travelling to/from impacted areas.
Cruise Itineraries
For cruise passengers wondering if their voyages have been impacted, all major cruise lines with itineraries in the Caribbean have modified schedules and/or cancelled cruises. For the most up-to-date information, contact the cruise line.
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