FLORIDA AWAKES TO FIND IRMA DAMAGE NOT SO BAD
HURRICANE Irma was supposed to be a monster storm, immense and record-breaking in size as it charged toward Florida packing a punch to a state that is home to 20 million people.
But as the sun rose yesterday, floodwaters in Florida quickly receded, and torn-off roofs, tree-damaged homes and toppled boats were limited to isolated pockets of the state.
Hurricane Irma is blamed for killing at least 40 people across the Caribbean.
Two deaths in Florida were reported by state officials yesterday.
“I didn’t see the damage I thought I would see,” Florida Governor Rick Scott said after an aerial tour of the island chain of the Keys, which were hit by the Category Four storm.
One of the most alarming warnings had to do with storm surge – a wall of water that rushes over land during a hurricane and often kills far more people than the wind.
In the end, the surge was “not as bad as we thought”, Mr Scott added.
Despite fuel shortages and traffic bottlenecks, Florida somehow managed to evacuate six million people from the vulnerable coasts – a far larger exodus than any other storm in recent memory. While plenty of Floridians chose to community shelters, the evacuations likely saved lives and kept first responders out of harm’s way.
But plenty of challenges remain.
About 6.7 million customers are without power, and officials warn it could be weeks before the electricity is fully restored.