Florida after Irma. Florida recovers from Hurricane Irma
Rescue and recovery efforts have begun in Florida after Hurricane Irma hit the state on Monday night. The hurricane weakened as it approached Miami, but Irma still caused significant damage to many cities in the state.
Local media report four dead. The situation on the Florida Keys, about 25 km from Miami, is described by rescuers as a humanitarian crisis.
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On the night of September 10, the wind speed in Hurricane Irma reached 160 km/h. Irma is now classified as a tropical storm and is no longer considered a hurricane.
Earlier, Irma hit Cuba, bringing torrential rains and heavy winds. According to media reports, the wind speed in Cuba reached 250 kilometers per hour, the wave height was seven meters.
Also, "Irma" almost completely destroyed the island of Barbuda, but bypassed the Bahamas.
Crisis in the Florida Keys
Jane Oh" Brian, BBC correspondent from Miami
Overall, Miami could not have had much better luck. The center of the hurricane did not pass through the city itself, but it strongly touched the Florida Keys (chain coral islands at a distance of about 25 km from the US coast). It is to the islands that the attention of rescuers is riveted.
Communication with the islands was poor as early as Friday. A number of people evacuated and stayed at the same hotel as us, and it was difficult for them to keep in touch with relatives who remained.
About 10,000 people were reportedly left on the islands to wait out the storm. We don't know what's wrong with them now.
The first thing the rescuers have to do is to check how many of the 42 bridges connecting the islands to each other have remained intact. If at least one is not functional, then problems may arise - one of the islands may be isolated.
The entire area of the islands is closed - it is impossible to get there until the authorities finish assessing the damage.
The scale of the rescue operation
More than 3.4 million homes across the state of Florida remain without electricity. In Miami alone, 80% of all high-voltage wires were cut off, large areas of the city were flooded, although compared to many other parts of the state, the city did not suffer catastrophic damage.
On the drone video from the city of Naples, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, about 200 km northwest of Miami, rows of destroyed one-story houses and flooded streets between them are visible.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption South coast Florida state with its resorts suffered the mostPresident Donald Trump has earmarked a large budget for Florida aid, calling Hurricane Irma a "huge monster."
The money will go to medical care, clearing rubble, restoring electricity and repairing buildings.
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Saint Martin: before and after Hurricane IrmaManager rescue work in Monroe County (pop. 73,000), Martin Centerfitt says a massive air force and national guard rescue mission will soon arrive in the state, according to the Miami Herald.
In the Florida Keys, which belong to Monroe County, "emergency burial teams" are to arrive as part of the mission.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Multiple fatal car crashes linked to hurricaneThe state government's director of rescue programs, Brian Kuhn, told reporters that it would be impossible to determine the exact number of victims before the rescue operation began.
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Florida Gov. Rick Scott continued to tweet warnings Monday morning. "Even a running stream of water six inches deep can knock you off your feet," the governor wrote. "Stay home - stay safe," Scott tweeted.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption "Irma" according to the latest reportsWhat the locals say
"We constantly feel the building rocking, as if on a ship," Dimi Lomas, the owner of the restaurant and apartment in the 35-story building, told Reuters.
At least four local deaths have been linked to the hurricane.
A police officer who worked at a hurricane shelter died while driving home and collided with another car. There was also a policeman driving that car, and he also died.
A driver has died in a car accident in Orange County.
Another fatal accident occurred in the city of Marathon County Monroe.
Before the hurricane hit the state, local authorities ordered the evacuation of 6.3 million coastal residents - more than a quarter of Florida's total population.
Actually stopped work international airports Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Irma in the Caribbean
Hurricane Irma hit Florida from outside Caribbean hitting Cuba and Puerto Rico.
On islands Caribbean More than a million people were affected by the hurricane, according to the Red Cross. According to the organization, the strongest hurricane destroyed almost all the buildings in Barbuda and left the inhabitants of Puerto Rico without electricity, and also brought significant damage to the British Virgin Islands, the islands of Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
According to the latest data, the hurricane claimed the lives of 10 people.
The Red Cross has allocated about 600,000 Swiss francs to prepare for the rapid provision of assistance to the population that may be affected by the hurricane.
In Puerto Rico, which is an American territory, there are still 6,000 people in shelters, many more without electricity.
In Cuba, 10 people became victims of the elements, in the capital of the island, Havana, there is no electricity.
At Florida Power & Light(it is the largest electricity supplier in the state) said that until Sunday the company will restore electricity to almost all customers east coast. As for customers in the west of the state, they should expect electricity in five days.
Company spokesman Rob Gould said the damage to electrical infrastructure was not as extensive as expected.
“What we see is encouraging, especially on west coast where our main transmission structures were unaffected,” Gould said. He added that there are still exceptions where the damage caused was particularly serious.
About half of the state's 21 million residents were left without power. Gov. Rick Scott said more than 30,000 freelancers are working to restore power across the state.
The Florida Keys were the hardest hit part of Florida. The water supply was out of service during the hurricane, all three hospitals on the islands were closed, and gasoline supplies were extremely limited.
Entry into the Florida Keys required a yellow sticker on a vehicle stating the right to stay on the islands, or proof of residence or ownership in their territory.
County officials have warned residents that services there are currently operating on a limited basis.
Meanwhile, parts of Florida have returned to normal. Workers cleared roads and resumed supplies of gasoline, while residents who fled the hurricane on cruise ships, returned back. Although the devastating hurricane Irma is still reminiscent of the flooded streets.
Ministry Agriculture The US said hurricane victims who receive food stamps can use them for hot meals, which is usually against program rules.
The cruise industry is back to normal. Royal Caribbean and Carnival planned to resume cruises from Port Everglades to Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday.
In Georgia, Irma left 15 cm of rain, and in Atlanta, wind gusts reached 96 km / h. Damage and flooding were reported in some coastal areas, causing more than 500,000 people to evacuate ahead of the storm. Tibi Island Mayor Jason Buelterman said hundreds of homes were flooded there.
Part South Carolina also experienced strong winds and rain, and historic Charleston was among the cities hit by the floods.
Alabama and North Carolina declared states of emergency ahead of the storm, and the remnants of Irma swept through several other states, the National Weather Service said.
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Florida began recovery after Irma. Photo by ABC News “I have not had internet since the arrival of Irma. The hurricane did a lot of damage to Miami. Millions of Florida residents are sitting without electricity,” says Twitter user Makada.
Do not forget about the marauders who rampage in the same Miami, taking advantage of the situation. One of the YouTube users posted a video of the robbery of one of the supermarkets.
Miami-Dade County police arrested 28 people for theft and looting during Hurricane Irma.
28 arrests so far for burglary/looting. Our officers remain on patrol and the curfew is in effect until 7am. #HurricaneIrma
Earlier, law enforcement officers red-handed detained nine robbers in the city of Fort Lauderdale. The attackers tried to rob the pawnshop during the rampant elements. Similar cases were observed in Texas during the recent hurricane Harvey.
Crisis in the Florida Keys
Jane O'Brien, a BBC correspondent from Miami, has this to say about the situation in the Florida Keys:
Overall, Miami could not have had much better luck. The center of the hurricane did not pass through the city itself, but it hit the Florida Keys (a chain of coral islands about 25 km from the US coast). It is to the islands that the attention of rescuers is riveted.
Communication with the islands was poor as early as Friday. A number of people evacuated and stayed at the same hotel as us, and it was difficult for them to keep in touch with relatives who remained.
About 10,000 people were reportedly left on the islands to wait out the storm. We don't know what's wrong with them now.
The first thing the rescuers have to do is to check how many of the 42 bridges connecting the islands to each other have remained intact. If at least one is not functional, then problems may arise - one of the islands may be isolated.
The entire area of the islands is closed - it is impossible to get there until the authorities finish assessing the damage.
The scale of the rescue operation
More than 6.5 million homes across the state of Florida remain without electricity. For example, in Collier County, 90% of the houses have no electricity. In Miami, 80% of all high-voltage wires were cut off, large areas of the city were flooded, although compared to many other parts of the state, the city did not suffer catastrophic damage. Many people report that, in addition to electricity, the water supply to their homes is intermittent.
A drone video from the city of Naples, on the Gulf of Mexico about 200 km northwest of Miami, shows rows of destroyed one-story houses and flooded streets between them.
President Donald Trump bailed out Florida with a large budget, calling Hurricane Irma a "big monster."
The money will go to medical care, clearing rubble, restoring electricity and repairing buildings.
Monroe County (pop. 73,000) rescue manager Martin Centerfitt says a massive air force and national guard rescue mission will soon arrive in the state, according to the Miami Herald.
In the Florida Keys, which belong to Monroe County, "emergency burial teams" are to arrive as part of the mission.
The state government's director of rescue programs, Brian Kuhn, told reporters that it would be impossible to determine the exact number of victims before the rescue operation began.
As little as six inches of moving water can knock you down. Stay inside. stay safe.
