Reports: Death toll rises in Caribbean as dangerous Hurricane Irma lashes the Bahamas, Cuba
<hr>
As of 4:30 p.m. AST Friday, this story is no longer being updated. For reports on Irma as it impacts Florida, click here.
<hr>
Irma will continue to pummel the northern Caribbean islands through late week as the massive hurricane leaves a trail of damage in its path. At least 20 people have been killed.
Cuba and the eastern Bahamas will face the brunt of Irma into Friday evening.
The storm made a direct hit on Barbuda early Wednesday morning as a Category 5 hurricane before later making a direct hit on the islands of St. Martin, Anguilla, St. Barts and the British Virgin Islands. The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda described Barbuda as "barely habitable" on Wednesday afternoon due to the catastrophic damage left behind by Irma.
“Any land mass within 185 miles of the storm's eye could see damage and any place within 50-60 miles of the hurricane's center could experience catastrophic damage,” AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
A satellite loop of Hurricane Irma moving through the Bahamas on Friday afternoon. (Image/NOAA)
For previous reports of Irma's impacts in the Caribbean, click here.
<hr>
4:25 p.m. AST Friday: The Department of Defense has arrived in the U.S. Virgin Islands and is helping with recovery efforts across the region.
While crews begin the long road to recovery in the wake or Irma, people in the Lesser Antilles remain on alert as Hurricane Jose approaches from the east.
The Department of Defense on the ground in the US Virgin Islands to help residents in the wake of Hurricane Irma. (Photo/Department of Defense).
The Department of Defense on the ground in the US Virgin Islands to help residents in the wake of Hurricane Irma. (Photo/Department of Defense).
<hr>
2:00 p.m. AST Friday: The United Kingdom has started sending Royal Air Force officers to the British Virgin Islands with aid to help deal with the terrible devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.
<hr>
1:30 p.m. AST Friday: The first U.S. Irma-related death has occurred in Davie, Florida, southwest of Fort Lauderdale. A man fell from a ladder while attempting to install shutters, local station WSVN reported.
<hr>
12:30 p.m. AST Friday: Barbuda is evacuating all remaining residents ahead of Jose, which is now a Category 4 hurricane. According to Lauren Bicker, a BBC Washington Reporter, the whole island will have to be rebuilt.
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A drive through the streets of Barbuda. The damage is truly horrendous <a href="https://t.co/WuBBEcQce7">pic.twitter.com/WuBBEcQce7</a></p>— Laura Bicker (@BBCLBicker) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCLBicker/status/906182294129565697">September 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
<hr>
12:00 p.m. AST Friday: Widespread looting has been observed throughout the Territory of the Virgin Islands due to Hurricane Irma. According to the government of the Virgin Islands, looters will not go unpunished.
<hr>
11:54 a.m. AST Friday: “The eye of Irma is between the Bahamas and Cuba and will continue to move west-northwestward closer to the northern coast of Cuba this afternoon," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson said.
<hr>
11:50 a.m. AST Friday: Areas that have been battered by Irma are now at risk of being hit by Jose. The National Hurricane Center made several changes with its advisory:
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for St. Thomas and St. John.
The government of Antigua has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the British Virgin Islands.
The government of France has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for St. Martin and St. Barths.
The government of St Martin has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for St. Martin.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:
-
Antigua, Barbuda and Anguilla
-
St. Martin
-
St. Barthelemy
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
-
Antigua, Barbuda and Anguilla
-
St. Martin
-
St. Barthelemy
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
-
Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis
-
Saba and St. Eustatius
-
British Virgin Islands
-
St. Thomas and St. John
<hr>
11:30 a.m. AST Friday: Authorities on the Dutch territory of St. Martin say it will take months for the island to recover from Irma, according to AP News.
Prime Minister William Marlin told the Dutch military that the storm destroyed many homes and schools and severely destroyed both government buildings. Hotels, popular for tourists, have also been badly damaged.
The electricity company lost its roof, so generators aren’t working. Nearly half the water tanks are gone, and every gas station on the island was destroyed, he said.
He also confirmed that people have been looting, according to AP News.
<hr>
11:10 a.m. AST Friday: The death toll has risen to 20, according to AP News.
So far, there are no details provided by The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency about the latest confirmed deaths in the British territory of about 40 small islands. Irma caused major damage to these islands late on Wednesday.
Search and rescue teams are being deployed across the U.S. Virgin Islands to locate victims, assess damage and attend to those in need.
<hr>
10:10 a.m. AST Friday: The Provo Air Center in Turks and Caicos experienced only minor damage from the storm and fuel trucks remained fine. However, the main terminal was not as fortunate and remains in poor condition.
<hr>
3:50 a.m. AST Friday: Foreign aid has begun to arrive at the islands devastated by Hurricane Irma. The Dutch military has reportedly brought supplies to St. Martin, and the French and the U.K. have ships now en route to their respective territories.
Venezuela sent a cargo plane full of supplies for the stranded Barbudans in Antigua, according to ABS TV/Radio. It arrived late Thursday night.
<center></center>
A former official of Anguilla anonymously told the Guardian that the situation on the island is "devastating." According to the source, the local high school is gone, power lines are down everywhere and one of the hospitals is missing part of its roof.
<hr>
2:20 a.m. AST Friday: With sustained winds of 160 mph, Irma remains a powerful Category 5 hurricane. The center of the storm is currently located just north of Great Inagua Island, about 530 miles east-southeast of Miami and 125 miles northeast of the eastern tip of Cuba.
Winds along the northern shore of Cuba will increase through the day on Friday. The center of the storm will bring the most damaging winds and heavy rainfall to the eastern Bahamas, including Mayaguana, Acklins and Crooked Island.
<hr>
1:15 a.m. AST Friday: Over 300 citizens of Barbuda have been evacuated to Antigua, according to Antigua Newsroom. Officials say the evacuation will take place throughout the night and into Friday.
Barbuda was devastated by Irma just days ago, with an estimated 60 percent of the population homeless and almost all forms of communication destroyed.
<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<hr>
11:20 p.m. AST Thursday: Reuters reports that Cuba has been evacuating 51,000 tourists ahead of Irma, especially those in coastal resorts. Meanwhile, residents in towns projected to lie in Irma's path, like Caibarien, are packing up and heading inland.
Disney World has announced it will be closing down its Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground this weekend ahead of Irma. There are several other events canceled; however, the park so far has no plans on closing completely.
<hr>
11:00 p.m. AST Thursday: While Haiti was spared the worst of Hurricane Irma, the northern part of the country did feel some of the storm's effects with heavy rain and strong winds. According to the Guardian, two people were reportedly injured in Cap-Haïtien after a tree fell on their home.
Additionally, a bridge connecting the Dominican Republic and Haiti collapsed.
<hr>
8:40 p.m. AST Thursday: The Turks and Caicos are currently being hit with some of the strongest winds that they will experience from Irma as it passes by.
Irma remains a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 175 mph and even stronger gusts. The strong winds will help to produce feet of storm surge that will inundate many of the coastal areas of the Turks and Caicos for several hours.
Satellite imagery shows Hurricane Irma as the eye of the storm passed within miles of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday evening. (Image/NOAA)
<hr>
7:00 p.m. AST Thursday: The Turks and Caicos are about to experience the worst of Hurricane Irma over the next several hours with the eye passing within miles of the islands. The eye may even pass directly over some of the southern-most islands.
<hr>
5:30 p.m. AST Thursday: Three more fatalities have been reported in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where catastrophic damage was reported.
The worst of the hurricane is approaching the Turks and Caicos Islands with conditions expected to deteriorate throughout the evening.
<hr>
4:25 p.m. AST Thursday: Irma remains a powerful Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph.
The eye of the storm is located about 65 miles north of the Dominican Republic and will gradually track northwest away from the island into Thursday night. Residents on the island will continue to experience heavy rain and gusty winds as the storm tracks closer to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Flooding rain and storm surge have caused some roads to turn to rivers, while strong winds have caused some structures to collapse.
A home flattened by Hurricane Irma lies in a pile in Nagua, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Irma flooded parts of the Dominican Republic when it roared by Thursday, just off the northern coast of the island it shares with Haiti. (AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
