Aerial Helicopter footage shows the scale of the devastation in the Virgin islands from the air. Source - Facebook/@caribbeanbuzzhelicopters
HURRICANE SIZE
2 category hurricane now as it travels up west Florida 4 category hurricane when it came ashore in Florida 5 category hurricane when it tore across the Caribbean 3 consecutive days as a category 5 hurricane, the longest in the satellite era 24 people at least killed in the Caribbean 160 km/h winds,down from a fearsome 297 km/h at one point 209 km/h winds when it came ashore in Florida 640km wide 23 km/h speed 129km extension of hurricane force winds from its centre
STORM SURGE
2.5m storm surge in Naples 3m storm surge recorded in part of the Florida Keys 4.5m surges expected elsewhere in Florida 6m waves in Havana, Cuba
7 million people in the Southeast were warned to evacuate 6.4 million of those were in Florida alone 160,000 people in Florida stayed in shelters 30,000 people left the Keys 1 million people evacuated in Cuba 17,000 tourists rode out the storm in Varadero, Cuba
POWER
4 million homes and businesses across Florida lost power
US$15-$50 billion is insurance computer modelling firm AIR Worldwide's estimated insured losses for Florida €1.2 billion damage on St Barts and St Martin estimated by French state-owned reinsurance group 70 per cent of homes on St Maarten were damaged or destroyed 90 per cent of cars and buildings damaged on Barbuda 39 buildings collapsed in the Cuban city of Santa Clara
FORCE
7000 members of the Florida National Guard activated 10,000 guardsmen from elsewhere deployed in the state 500 British soldiers sent to the Caribbean to help local police re-establish security 550 Dutch soldiers in St Maarten by tomorrow 500 French troops on St Martin and St Barts
OTHER IMPACTS
1 Miami woman went into labour and the birth was guided by phone 1 tornado spun off by Irma destroyed six mobile homes in Palm Bay 3 construction cranes collapsed in the wind 9 arrests for looting in Fort Lauderdale
AID
1000 tonnes of water and 85 tonnes of food along with fuel have been shipped to St Martin and St Barts 1500 emergency shelters set up in St Martin 140 tonnes of electrical equipment to help restore the power supply on St Martin and St Barts 1 British aid ship Mounts Bay landed on Tortola carrying personnel and heavy equipment to fix communications systems and to try to clear airport runways
Some of the damage to the British Virgin Isles, seen from the air. Photo / AP
