AFTER THE HURRICANE
Governments call state of emergency and UK flies in medical supplies and aid to worst affected areas
A man walks with a child in a flooded street in Malfeti in the city of Fort Liberte in Haiti after Hurricane Irma struck. Irma has been downgraded to a Category Four hurricane but is still extremely dangerous, the National Hurricane Centre said.
Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion. Be safe and get out of its way. Tweet from US President Donald Trump.
RELIEF EFFORTS are under way on islands devastated by Hurricane Irma, as a second “extremely dangerous” storm threatens the Caribbean.
Some already-ravaged areas are preparing for further possible damage as Hurricane Jose, which has been upgraded to category four, travels through the Atlantic.
Medical supplies and other aid are being flown from the UK to the areas worst affected by Irma, following a £32m pledge from the British Government.
The government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, which were “pummelled” overnight, declared a national shutdown as the hurricane continued its destructive path towards America.
The death toll from Irma has risen to 20 with four more people believed to have died on the British Virgin Islands, it is reported.
US President Donald Trump warned Americans in Irma’s path to “get out of its way”.
He tweeted: “Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. Be safe and get out of its way, if possible.”
The National Hurricane Centre said the storm is likely to move near the north coast of Cuba and central Bahamas last night and today, and approach Florida by Sunday.
Life-threatening wind, rain and a storm surge are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands into today.
Forecasters said Hurricane Jose could affect already-hit areas with the British Virgin Islands on tropical storm watch, and the Commonwealth islands of Barbuda and Antigua and British territory of Anguilla on hurricane watch.
The British Virgin Islands, which saw houses reduced to their foundations and many roads impassable in the wake of Irma, has already declared a state of emergency.
Images posted on social media showed entire structures razed to the ground, with debris scattered across the streets.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said aircraft carrying around 230 personnel, made up of engineers, marines and medical specialists, will take rations and medical supplies to places affected including Barbados and the British Virgin Islands.
Officials said it has been difficult to gauge the extent of the damage due to communication lines coming down, but the Department for International Development (Dfid), which is coordinating aid, has sent advisers to Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica to assess the wreckage.
A spokeswoman for the department said people are being evacuated from Barbuda to Antigua in advance of Hurricane Jose hitting.
Winds reached a peak of 130mph but soon became the strongest for more than a decade when sustained winds peaked at 185mph.
Thousands of British tourists believed to be in the Caribbean have been warned to follow evacuation orders while some have been advised to stay in their hotel rooms.
Holiday firms said they are monitoring the situation and some have cancelled flights or offered to amend bookings for those due to travel to affected areas in the coming days.
In Fort Lauderdale, Erik Petersen, 40, described the atmosphere as “pretty tense” – adding that there was much more worry than last year with Hurricane Matthew.