TERROR AS 200MPH HURRICANE HITS THE CARIBBEAN
Terrified Britons’ plea as holiday islands hit by 200mph hurricane
‘If you’re told to evacuate, go quickly – we can rebuild your home but we can’t rebuild your life’
FRIGHTENED British tourists last night cowered in their hotels as Hurricane Irma churned through the Caribbean with gusts of up to 200mph.
Alex Woolfall asked people to pray for him as he tweeted while hiding in a stairwell when one of the strongest storms ever in the Atlantic Ocean arrived on the island of St Martin.
The PR executive wrote: “Thunderous sonic boom noises outside and boiling in stairwell. Can feel scream of things being hurled against building.”
Thousands of holidaymakers from the UK are thought to be in the path of Irma, which meteorologists have described as “potentially catastrophic”.
Yesterday it battered Barbuda, St Martin and the US and British Virgin Islands and was heading towards Florida, where mandatory evacuations were put into effect. The Foreign Office told Britons holidaying in the region to follow the advice of the local authorities and heed any orders to leave.
Among those staying put was billionaire Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson, whose 74-acre Necker Island luxury compound in the British Virgin Islands was due to take a direct hit.
Sir Richard Branson hunkered down in his wine cellar on Necker Island with his family and posted pictures online of them drinking red wine and playing games.
He said the storm was a “night of howling wind and rain” and that the “atmosphere is eerie but beautiful”.
Dozens of celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Oprah Winfrey, Sir Mick Jagger and US President Donald Trump also have homes on islands in the region. Irma is 400 miles wide – wider than France – and is a Category 5 storm, which is the strongest possible with wind gusts up to 200mph and a storm surge up to 20ft. It struck Barbuda at 5.47am UK time yesterday and caused “major damage” to the islands of St Martin and Saint Barthelemy.
Mr Woolfall sent out increasingly panicked tweets talking about “apocalyptic” scenes with a noise like “standing behind a jet engine”.
One read: “OK, I am now pretty terrified so can every non-believer, atheist and heretic please pray.”
Another read: “Evacuated and everyone now hiding in concrete stairwell of building. Noise of wind insane. Pray this will end soon.”
In Antigua officials issued a statement talking about Irma’s “onslaught” and finishing: “May God protect us all.”
Thomas Cook sent a special assistance team to Cuba and the Dominican Republic. British Airways cancelled two flights and said it was keeping other flights “under review”. Virgin Atlantic is offering passengers travelling to the Caribbean and Florida free re-booking.
Irma is due today to hit the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
By the end of the week it looks likely to land a direct hit on Florida, which is home to about 400,000 British expats.
Florida governor Rick Scott activated 7,000 members of the National Guard and told people in Irma’s path: “If you’re told to evacuate, get out quickly.”
He added: “We can rebuild your home, but we can’t rebuild your life.”
AS A nation we love moaning about the weather. But today we should spare a thought for those poor people being battered by Hurricane Irma because their lives and their futures are at risk.
It puts whingeing about a poor summer into perspective.