Hurricane Irma keeps advancing, and its eye has already hit Florida's southern islands. The authorities have taken many measures, but they are still worried. More than six million people have been warned to leave Florida because there is a high level of risk for the people who remain in the state. Irma has already caused a lot of pain in the Caribbean region, where at least 25 people have perished. The powerful winds will hit the lower Florida Keys area for at least two hours. All the people who live there have been told to evacuate because a powerful storm reaching 4.6 meters could affect the coral cay islands, which are just a few feet above sea level.
Irma is unstoppable
After hitting the south, the eye of Irma will keep advancing northwards in the state of Florida. There are already 50,000 people who stay in shelters, and hundreds of thousands of homes have no energy. Irma will hit many cities, among them, we have St Petersburg and Tampa. The last time a hurricane hit the Tampa Bay area was in 1921. Today, the Tampa Bay area has a population of 3 million inhabitants. Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, stated that although the local authorities have made all the possible efforts to fight against Irma, the hurricane is scary.
Cuba, St Martin and St Barthelemy, and The Turks and Caicos
Before hitting the United States, the hurricane had already caused a lot of destruction and pain in many Caribbean countries.
It's been the most powerful storm in the last ten years in the Atlantic area. In Cuba, the authorities reported that it had caused significant damage but didn't want to give more details on this. In St Martin and St Barthelemy, the economic losses have been higher, 60 percent of the houses in St Martin have become uninhabitable.
Some people have perished or remain missing. The Turks and Caicos Islands have suffered a lot too, but the extent of the destruction is still unclear.
Other places hit by Irma
In Barbuda, Irma has damaged 95 percent of the buildings, the reconstruction of the island will cost $100 million. One person perished. Barbuda remains barely habitable.
In Puerto Rico, there are three deaths, and more than 6,000 people are living in shelters, many residents have no power at all. The British Virgin Islands have had five dead people and a lot of economic losses. The US Virgin Islands have faced a lot of destruction, and four inhabitants perished. Haiti and the Dominican Republic have also been hit by Irma.
