Irma destruction hits
HURRICANE Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, has howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands with tree-snapping winds, drenching rain and pounding surf on a collision course with Florida.
At least six people were reported killed by Irma on four different islands.
Weather forecasters said Irma was a “potentially catastrophic” Category 5 storm, the highest possible classification.
The dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda was especially hard hit.
The northernmost island, Barbuda, home to roughly 1800 people, was “totally demolished,” with 90 per cent of all dwellings levelled, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.
A second storm-related fatality, a surfer, was reported on Barbados, and the French government said at least two people were killed in the Caribbean island territories of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy.
Irma, with top sustained winds of 300km/h, was on track to reach Florida at the weekend, becoming the second major hurricane to hit the US mainland in as many weeks.
Irma’s intensity could fluctuate and its precise course remained uncertain, but the storm is expected to remain at least a Category 4 before arriving in Florida.
Two other hurricanes formed on Wednesday.
Katia in the Gulf of Mexico posed no threat to the US, but Hurricane Jose, about 1610km east of the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles islands, may threaten the US mainland.
This all comes after Hurricane Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused an estimated $225 billion damage after slamming Louisiana.
Florida emergency management officials have begun evacuations days in advance of Irma’s arrival, with all tourists ordered to leave the Florida Keys, a resort archipelago off the state’s southern tip.
Cuba is also on hurricane alert, with Havana residents queuing for food, water and into Texas and