Long road back to restore power after Irma
AN army of utility workers was yesterday scrambling to restore power to 13 million people in Florida after Hurricane Irma.
Crews from across the US and Canada were working around the clock but warned it could take weeks to reach everyone.
There was heavy congestion on highways as millions of people tried to get back home.
In the Florida Keys, search and rescue teams were going from house to house as officials estimated that 25 per cent of homes had been destroyed.
Desperate residents were relying on shelters for food and water that had been dropped off by military helicopters, as fears grew of a humanitarian crisis.
As the death toll rose to at least 11, Florida senator Bill Nelson said: “Now is the tough, hard reality of digging out of all of the rubble.” The worst affected area was the Keys, which took a direct hit from 130mph winds and a 10ft storm surge.
In the Florida city of Naples, where residents have been advised to boil water before drinking, the mayor estimated the damage would cost $100million (£75million).
Across Irma’s impact zone, there have been sporadic reports of looting and more than 30 people have been arrested.
Insurers believe that the cost of the damage will be about $40billion (£30billion).
Meanwhile, nearly 1,000 British military personnel are now in the Caribbean to help more than 500,000 British nationals caught up in the path of the hurricane.
About 50 British police officers have also arrived in the British Virgin Islands to assist local officers.
HMS Ocean, Britain’s biggest warship in service, is also heading to the Caribbean and should arrive in 10 days.