The before and after picture above, showing Paraquita Bay in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, where many charter companies tried to secure their boats, says it all. The damage, where Hurricane Irma hit directly, is catastrophic. The hurricane, the strongest Atlantic storm ever, is now moving toward the low-lying Turks & Caicos at 17 mph with sustained 180-mph winds; NOAA predicts it will then head for the Bahamas and south Florida. By the time it hits Florida its path will be 120 miles – covering the entire width of the state, plus some.
Irma originally made landfall on the tiny island of Barbuda, next to Antigua, where it destroyed 90 percent of the buildings. It then moved on to make direct hits on St. Barth’s, St. Martin, and the BVI, causing widespread damage and flooding. Marinas filled with recreational and charter boats in those areas were hit hard; details are still emerging, since communications services also were damaged.
In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott declared a statewide emergency, and he called up all 7,000 members of the Florida National Guard to report for duty on Friday morning. There are now mandatory evacuations in the Keys, and traffic and fuel problems are developing throughout south Florida as people head for safety. And many boat owners there are finding, to their surprise, that they needed a hurricane insurance policy with a marina paid in advance to have their boats hauled. The Coast Guard is warning everyone near the area to stay off the water; there is only so much they can do in so large a storm.
Here is the latest from the Miami Herald, below. Then there is some important advice from the National Hurricane Center, and a great video about how to prepare for a hurricane under that.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article171611132.html
