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Caribbean islands assess damage as Hurricane Irma rages on
Antigua’s airport has re-opened after the Caribbean island survived a battering by Hurricane Irma, the strongest storm to hit the region for at least a decade.
But neighbouring Barbuda was severely hit by the hurricane, with 95% of structures on the island either damaged or destroyed and at least one fatality.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said he had flown over Barbuda and saw ‘absolute devastation’.
"The island is literally under water. In fact, I’m of the view that, as it stands now, Barbuda is barely habitable," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, The Antigua and Barbuda tourist board said locals and visitors to the Antigua were safe and there was no loss of life in the storm, which is sweeping across the Leeward Islands.
"Most residential, business and hotel properties in Antigua remain largely unscathed and already the main roads have been cleared of the debris of fallen trees," it said yesterday.
The V C Bird International Airport has re-opened to accommodate arriving and departing aircraft and passengers.
Visitors have been told to contact their airlines and tour operators if their flights were affected.
British Airways said it has helped get many customers off the affected islands by booking them with alternative carriers.
It is operating its London Gatwick to Antigua flight today as normal but will not fly on to Providencials in Turks and Caicos.
BA flights from Tobago and Antigua to Gatwick will operate normally tomorrow.
Virgin’s Gatwick-Antigua flight today has been cancelled, but the return flight from Antigua back to London will still operate as scheduled.
Meanwhile, officials in St. Martin/St Maarten and St Barts have reported widespread devastation and eight people killed. The death roll is expected to rise.
St Maarten’s famous Princess Juliana airport, the third largest in the Caribbean, has been destroyed.
Irma is tracking across the Caribbean and is expected to reach the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and south-eastern Bahamas today and Cuba and the Florida Keys by Friday.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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