Hurricane Irma has killed at least nine people, officials said. Six died on the island of St. Martin and two others on St. Barts, according to French officials. The islands are French-run. An infant in Barbuda also died in the storm, officials there said.
Babuda took such a major hit, about 95% of its buildings are damaged, its Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.
He described the damage as “unprecedented” destruction and absolutely devastating,” estimating the damage to be $100 million.
Irma’s eye passed directly over Barbuda on Wednesday, leaving the small island’s 1,800 residents largely incommunicado after it knocked over the telecommunications system and cell towers.
Irma is one of three active hurricanes in the Atlantic basin — the last time this happened was in 2010.
