Hurricane Irma is a powerful tropical cyclone that recently made landfall in the U.S. state of Florida as a major hurricane, and was the most intense Atlantic hurricane observed in over a decade. The ninth named storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Irma has caused widespread and catastrophic damage across its track across the Atlantic, most of which was caused in the northeastern Caribbean. It is also the most intense hurricane to strike the United States since Katrina in 2005.
Irma developed on August 30 near the Cape Verde Islands from a tropical wave that had moved off the west African coast two days prior.[1][2][3] Under favorable conditions, Irma rapidly intensified shortly after formation, becoming a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale within a mere 24 hours.
After dropping to Category 3 intensity as it passed along Cuba, on September 10 the storm rose to Category 4 as it crossed warm waters between Cuba and the Florida Keys, before dropping back to Category 3 once again as it moved northward across the western coast of south Florida. Irma weakened to a Category 2 hurricane later that day, the first time it weakened below major hurricane status in over a week.
"Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy"
On the morning of September 6, Irma's center crossed the island of Saint Martin while the storm was near peak intensity, sweeping away entire structures, submerging roads and cars, and triggering an island-wide blackout.[120] Irma's extreme winds ripped trees out of the ground and sent vehicles and debris from damaged structures scattered across the territory.
On the French side of Saint-Martin, entire marinas around Marigot were left in ruins, littered with the stranded remnants of boats that had smashed into each other.
The hurricane destroyed an eleven-bedroom mansion owned by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Irma left widespread destruction and disastrous flooding along its path over the French island of Saint Barthélemy, southeast of Saint Martin.
"Antigua and Barbuda"
The eyewall of the hurricane moved over Barbuda near its record peak intensity during the night of September 5–6.
Remaining just outside of Irma’s strongest windfield, Antigua sustained minimal damage in the form of leveled roofs and fences, downed power poles and lines, and uprooted trees. Some street flooding also took place in low-lying areas.[118] Three people were treated for minor storm-related injuries.
"Anguila"
The British Overseas Territory of Anguilla had the eye of the storm pass over it on September 6. Many homes and schools were destroyed, and the island's only hospital was badly damaged. The devastation was particularly severe in East End, where the winds uprooted scores of trees and power poles and demolished a number of houses. In The Valley, the island's capital, the hurricane blew out the windows of government buildings.
Rough seas inflicted heavy damage upon several bays and harbors, and a seaside restaurant was completely eradicated.
"Rest of the Leeward Islands"
Large swells ahead of Irma washed ashore debris and sea life in Castries, Saint Lucia, blocking some roads. One surfer was killed amid rough surf in Barbados after hitting a reef and breaking his neck. The hurricane's effects, such as violent seas and rattling trees, were intense enough to be detected by seismographs in Guadeloupe. Around 8,000 households and a water supply network on that island lost power during the storm, leaving several communes in the dark without running water. Overall damage was limited to trees that were blown onto roads and three unmanned ships wrecked by rough seas.
"Virgin Islands"
Damage in the British Virgin Islands was extensive. Numerous buildings and roads were destroyed on the island of Tortola, which bore the brunt of the hurricane's core. Along Cane Garden Bay, the storm surge submerged several seaside bars and a gas station. Satellite images revealed many of the island's residential zones had been left in ruins. The hurricane passed over Necker Island, also causing severe damage and destroying the mansion of Richard Branson
"Puerto Rico"
Waves in Puerto Rico reached 30 feet (9 meters) in height. Two people died in due to rainstorms ahead of the hurricane: one man died in Orocovis after falling off his ladder while repairing his roof; another man on the coast in Capitanejo died after being struck by lightning. Three nearby fishermen were burned by the same lightning strike, but survived. Two other people died during the hurricane: a woman died while being evacuated from her house in a wheelchair and fell from the same hitting her head; another person died in a car accident in Canovanas.More than a million residents lost power due to damages caused by the storm, according to former Puerto Rican Governor Alejandro García Padilla. Governor Ricardo Rosselló declared the islands of Culebra and Vieques to be disaster areas
Rest of the Leeward Islands
"Hispaniola"
Although spared a direct hit, both the Dominican Republic and Haiti were negatively affected by high winds and heavy rains. A bridge over the Dajabón River connecting the two countries was broken.
In the Dominican Republic, the fishing community of Nagua sustained damage from waves that destroyed homes. 55,000 soldiers were deployed to affected areas to help with the clean-up efforts.By the evening of September 7, the government had counted 2,721 damaged homes.
In Haiti, flooding one meter deep sat in residential neighborhoods in places like Cap-Haïtien, Ouanaminthe, and Gonaives. Mudslides, destroyed homes, flooded crops, and infrastructure damage were reported in the northern part of the country. The total expanse of the flooding stretched from Môle-Saint-Nicolas in the west to the eastern border with the Dominican Republic.
"Turks and Caicos Islands"
On the evening of September 7, at 7:30 PM AST (23:30 UTC), Hurricane Irma reached the Turks and Caicos Islands. While the eye passed just south of the main islands, crossing over the Ambergris Cays, the most powerful winds on the northern side of the eye swept all of the islands for more than two hours. Communications infrastructure was destroyed.
"The Bahamas"
Damages were largely confined to the southern islands starting the morning of September 8. On Mayaguana and Great Inagua, downed power lines knocked out communications. On Great Inagua, 70% of homes sustained roof damage, and the island's school lost its roof entirely.
Irma brought significant economic damages, with international freight shipping being offline for a projected week, and costs for rebuilding supplies being inflated due to demand in the U.S.
"Cuba"
The weather station at Camagüey was damaged, with the wind gauge destroyed. According to The New York Times, northern Cuba experienced "waves more than 16 feet high, and damage to hospitals, factories and warehouses.
Mainland United States
"Florida"
One death occurred during preparations when a man fell off a ladder while installing hurricane shutters in Davie. One death occurred in a traffic accident in tropical storm force winds in Monroe County. As of 1:00 p.m. EDT, on Sunday, almost 730,000 customers were without power in Miami-Dade County alone, with almost 500,000 without power in Broward County, over 225,000 out in Palm Beach County, and in total approximately 1,572,000 customers were without power across the state.