BREAKING: Irma wrecks havoc over the Caribbean
Rain and high winds hit the French island territory of Saint Martin on Wednesday as Hurricane Irma churns through the Caribbean. Amateur video shows a boats and debris in a flooded harbour, and cars stranded in flood water.
Prime Minister Browne of Antigua and Barbuda report during a press conference that more than 90% of structures on the island of Barbuda were destroyed. Over a shaky radio line Browne repeated the phrase “totally demolished” over and over again.
French president Emmanuel Macron provided an update from a crisis center set up Wednesday night, saying it’s too early to offer precise figures about the damage, but “the toll will be harsh and cruel”.
Macron said he expects heavy damages and victims will be discovered when Hurricane Irma has left the islands of St Martin and St Barthélemy, the AP reported: “The material damage on both islands is considerable.”
Puerto Rico is bracing for the possibility that basic services like electricity may take months, not days or weeks, to come back online in some areas of the island after Irma strikes.