PM: 90 Percent of Barbuda ‘Destroyed’ by Hurricane Irma
DEVASTATION
French side of St. Martin reports 95 percent destruction from “enormous catastrophe.”
NOAA National Weather Service National Hurricane Center/Handout via Reuters
Hurricane Irma has done catastrophic damage to “90 percent of Barbuda,” according to Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, after it barreled past the island nation and through the Caribbean on Wednesday. An official from the country’s Office of Disaster Services told ABC News said there was “widespread damage” across the island, which is home to 1,600 people. Authorities in St. Martin said 95 percent of the French part of the island was destroyed, with one local official saying the storm caused an “enormous catastrophe.” Irma made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds above 185 mph, and is expected to hit Florida on Saturday night.
