By Boluwatife Ezekiel Olaleye
Hurricane Irma, one of the strongest storms to ever form in the Atlantic, is continuing to tear through the Caribbean as a Category 5 storm, having already devastated several islands, including Barbuda, St. Martin, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Under the current forecast, the core of the storm, which has maintained its intensity with winds above 180 mph, is expected to hit Florida and the Southeast U.S. on Sunday.
The death toll, by the numbers: Irma has killed at least 10 people, officials said. Meanwhile, the UN estimates that up to 37 million people across different countries, states, and territories could be affected.
The other two active hurricanes in the Atlantic: Hurricane Jose has strengthened into a Category 1 storm in the open Atlantic, while Hurricane Katia is building momentum in the Gulf of Mexico.
Places still at risk: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Bahamas, Florida and the Southeast U.S.
Live updates:
- Florida is on high alert and has ordered evacuations, while the Carolinas and Georgia have also declared emergencies.
- Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the island suffered from "unprecedented" destructed, estimating that roughly 95% of its buildings are damaged. "The island is literally under water," said Browne. "In fact, I'm of the view that, as it stands now, Barbuda is barely habitable."
- France's interior minister, Gerard Collomb, said Thursday that at least eight people were killed and 23 injured in French Caribbean island territories. But the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams are still conducting their inspection of the islands.
- Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico, and officials warned that the power could remain cut off for several days.
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