Hurricane Jose spares French Caribbean islands

MARIGOT (Saint Martin): Stormhit Saint Martin and Saint Barts escaped a further battering by Hurricane Jose, which had “markedly less” of an impact on the French Caribbean islands than anticipated, France’s meteorological agency said yesterday.

The agency had issued its highest warning, saying the Category 4 Hurricane Jose could become a “dangerous event of exceptional intensity”.

But “there’s not a cloud in the sky”, a reporter at the scene said.

Jose passed 135km north of Saint Barts and 125km from Saint Martin, 95 per cent of which has already been ravaged by Hurricane Irma, which struck three days ago.

“Thanks to a passage which was further away than anticipated, the effects on the territory were markedly less,” the meteorological agency said.

Many on Saint Martin, an island which is divided between France and the Netherlands and known for its vibrant nightlife and pristine beaches, had been concerned about where to go ahead of the second storm.

Earlier in the day, there was an anxious and tense scramble to fly out of the islands before air links were closed as a precautionary measure. The ports had also been closed to traffic.

Twelve people were killed on the two islands by Hurricane Irma, which also flattened thousands of buildings and has left the authorities struggling to control looting.

Residents are still grappling with dwindling supplies.

“We have only 12 bottles of water for a family of three to wash and drink,” said Saint Barts resident Olivier Toussaint.

When Irma hit on Wednesday, it ripped off roofs and uprooted trees, tossing cars and boats about like matchsticks.

Debris still clogs the streets, many homes are uninhabitable, communications are still down and tens of thousands are without food, water or power. AFP