International desk: Hurricane Irma sowed a trail of deadly devastation through the Caribbean on Wednesday, reducing to rubble the tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin and claiming at least seven lives.
One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, the dangerous Category Five hurricane was churning off the north coast of Puerto Rico on Wednesday night, on a potential collision course with south Florida where at-risk areas were evacuated.
The French part of St Martin — a pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlife — suffered the storm's full fury: at least six people died and 95 percent of dwellings were decimated, officials said.
Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire called the situation in St Martin “dramatic,” saying the island — which is divided between the Netherlands and France — was without drinking water or electricity, and warning the death toll was almost certain to rise.”It's an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed,” top local official Daniel Gibbs said in a radio interview. “I'm in shock. It's frightening.”
French President Emmanuel Macron earlier warned the final toll would be “harsh and cruel.”
To the southeast, Barbuda, part of the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, suffered “absolute devastation” with 95 percent of properties damaged, and up to 30 percent demolished, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
