Update | Deadly Hurricane Irma, a 300km/h monster, pounds Caribbean – and Florida is next in its sights
Irma is one of the most powerful storms ever recorded and only the second to have such high sustained wind speeds, after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013
Powerful Hurricane Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble.
One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, the rare category 5 hurricane churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early on Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida where at-risk areas were evacuated.
St Martin – a pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlife which is divided between France and the Netherlands – suffered the full fury of the storm, with rescuers on the French side saying eight people had died and another 21 were injured.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the hurricane had caused “huge damage” to the airport and harbour, leaving the Dutch part of the island unreachable but that there were no immediate reports of deaths.
As the storm raged westwards, it left scenes of widespread devastation on the island with the roofs wrenched off multiple buildings, dozens of huge shipping containers tossed aside like matchsticks and debris flung far and wide, aerial footage from a Dutch naval helicopter showed.
