Fiesty Irma Creates Mass Destruction

By:Curtis Morton

Charlestown-Nevis-Nevisians are thanking God for sparing their lives and for the fact that Hurricane Irma diverted sufficiently to only impact the tiny island with heavy wind gusts and heavy showers of rain, which forced a flash flood warning to be implemented up to 3 pm on Wednesday afternoon.

Trees were downed in certain areas; one house lost some galvanize roofing in Low Street and the picket fence at the Vance Amory Airport, was heavily impacted. These were some of the results of the hurricane’s passage that were immediately reported.

Over in St. Kitts, Prime Minister Timothy Harris has indicated that St Kitts was “spared the full brunt” of Irma, but alluded to “significant damage” to property and infrastructure, as well as power failures. The airport is due to reopen on Thursday.

Other nearby islands were not that fortunate.

Barbuda was especially impacted and a two year old child was reported killed there.

According to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, the island which has a population of 1,700 people, was “totally demolished”, with 90 per cent of all dwellings there levelled. Many of the residents were expected to be evacuated to the larger sister island Antigua, which was not severely affected, ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Jose, this weekend.

In Anguilla, which received what was referred to as ‘an almost direct hit,’ one person was reported dead and police stations, hospitals, schools, emergency shelters, a home for the infirmed and the aged, the fire station and many homes, were reported as damaged or destroyed.

Dutch and French St. Maarten were reporting up to eight persons dead and massive destruction of homes and buildings, including the Princess Juliana Airport.

Similar destruction was wreaked in the British Virgin Islands many homes, critical facilities, supermarkets and other businesses, were devastated.

The US Virgin Islands also suffered severe damage and President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency there.

Puerto Rico was also affected in a huge way and most of the population is currently without power and thousands without water.

Today Thursday, 7th September, the storm is expected to pass just north of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, then on to the Turks and Caicos Islands and Southern Bahamas by nightfall.

The future path of the storm is not clear but projections indicate the possibility of it also affecting South Eastern Florida near Miami and the folks there have already started preparations.

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