Barbuda was directly in the path of Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne saying the devastation from the Category 5 storm is heartbreaking. After doing an aerial tour of the island, he has established that 90 percent of the homes on the island have been damaged in some way, with some losing their roofs and others reduced to rubble. The storm is considered to be the strongest Atlantic Ocean storm in history, with winds up to 185 miles per hour. The eye of the storm covered the entire island.

Barbudan residents homeless after Hurricane Irma

Of around eight people dead so far in the Caribbean from Hurricane Irma, one two-year-old child died during the storm in Barbuda while the mother was trying to leave a damaged home. Prime Minister Browne estimates there are 1,600 people living on the island, around 60 percent of which are now homeless. The island was cut off from the outside world as the storm hit, as all methods of communication were destroyed, causing worries to relatives living off the island. Browne said once things are more settled, cargo planes will be bringing supplies to the people of the island and they hoped to get some form of communication up on Barbuda again.

Hurricane Jose is a potential threat to Barbuda

Browne said that Hurricane Jose could possibly be the next to hit the island and that should that hurricane threaten the island, a total evacuation will be required.

At the moment, however, there is no way to access the island due to the still choppy waters surrounding Barbuda. Browne went on to say that at present the island is “barely habitable,” with all infrastructure down, with no electricity or communication available and problems with the supply of water.

An interview with Prime Minister Browne can be heard in the video included here.

Residents of Barbuda also speak about their experience during the hurricane.

Barbuda is part of the state of Antigua and Barbuda and is located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Browne is based on the sister island of Antigua, which he said was spared the worst of the storm. However, he did say several private homes were destroyed by Hurricane Irma.

Meanwhile, according to a report by the Independent, Hurricane Jose is currently rated as a Category 1 storm with winds of up to 75 miles per hour. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, there is currently no immediate threat to the island from the storm, however, meteorologists do warn that the path of the storm could change.

Hurricane Irma heads for Florida

Meanwhile the French portion of the Caribbean island of St. Martin has reportedly been 95 percent destroyed, with a state of emergency in place for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico already has large areas without power.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued by the mayors of Broward and Miami-Dade counties in Florida, starting Thursday morning. The southern Florida Keys area is also at risk, where around 80,000 residents are in the direct path of Hurricane Irma. People are being recommended to evacuate.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED