Hurricane Irma barrels toward South Florida 01:38
Story highlights
- String of northeast Caribbean islands slammed by storm
- Hurricane Irma could make a final landfall in Florida
(CNN)Nearly 16 million people across 10 countries, states, and territories in the Atlantic are in the path of Hurricane Irma.
The deadly Category 5 storm left devastation and death in its wake and as it continues menacing north, more destruction is expected.
Irma has quickly intensified to become the strongest hurricane anywhere in the Atlantic since 2005 and at least nine people, including an infant, have been killed in Irma-ravaged islands.
These are the areas that were hit or will likely be impacted by the storm between now and Sunday.
Antigua and Barbuda
The tiny island of Barbuda has been the worst hit so far by Hurricane Irma, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne describing it as having suffered “total devastation.”
Barbuda with a population of approximately 1,800 people is part of the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Most of the two-island nation’s population of 80,000 people reside on the larger island of Antigua, which was spared the worst brunt of the storm as it headed northwest toward the US. There is also no way to land airplanes on the islands, Browne said from Antigua.
Assessing the damage from Irma, Charles Fernandez, minister of foreign affairs and international trade for Antigua and Barbuda, said that destruction on Barbuda was “upwards of 90%.”
Barbuda has been hit hard by Hurricane Irma.
St. Martin/St. Maarten
The 87-square kilometer island is split roughly in half by the French overseas collectivity of St. Martin, and St. Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Around 72,000 people live on the whole island, which has suffered property damage and power outages due to Irma.
As the storm approached earlier this week, residents of St. Maarten were warned to prepare supply kits and learn the locations of hurricane shelters.
“Those of you who think your homes may not be safe enough should immediately seek shelter with family, friends, or neighbors until the storm is over,” Prime Minister William Marlin said Tuesday.
Photo shows the damages from Hurricane Irma in Saint Martin on September 6.
Anguilla
One of the several British overseas territories in the Caribbean, the 90-square kilometer island of Anguilla sits just north of St. Martin, with a population of around 17,000.
The island has few natural resources, and is largely dependent on tourism, fishing, and offshore banking, though it is not as developed as more established Caribbean tax havens.
Anguilla’s government issued a hurricane warning earlier this week and urged all first responders to be ready to offer aid.
Meads Bay, on the west coast of Anguilla.
St. Kitts and Nevis
The twin island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country in the Americas and Western Hemisphere, with a total land area of 261 square kilometers, and a population of around 52,000.
A largely tourism driven economy, the islands achieved independence from the UK in 1983, though repeated attempts by Nevis to go it alone have so far not been successful.
According to a government statement, St. Kitts and Nevis suffered damage to property and water and power outages due to the storm.
St. Kitts and Nevis suffered some property damage from Hurricane Irma. (File photo)
The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
The dozens of islands that make up the Virgin Islands have split three ways, between the US, British and Spanish Virgin Islands, which includes Vieques and Culebra.
More than 135,000 people live across the islands, with the majority in the US territories. The economy of the islands is largely based on tourism, with more than 3 million visiting the US Virgin Islands every year alone, mainly via cruise ships.
Sailboats at anchor in the Great Harbour Bay, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated US territory, meaning its 3.35 million residents have US citizenship but cannot vote in federal elections. Vieques and Culebra are islands off the east coast of Puerto Rico.
The US territory, which has been dealing with a major economic crisis for several years, has been bracing for the impact of Hurricane Irma, as people have emptied shelves of food and water and Governor Ricardo Rosselló has declared a state of emergency.
A woman looks at heavy surf as Hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico in Luquillo, on September 6, 2017.
Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos is a British overseas territory sitting north of Haiti and east of Cuba and is home to around 52,000 people.
Like Anguilla, its economy is largely based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services, with the majority of visitors coming from the US by cruise ship.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Turks and Caicos, and national emergency operations in place, according to a statement.
A beach in Providenciales, Turks And Caicos Islands, seen in September 2016.
Bahamas
Located between the southern tip of Florida and Cuba, the Bahamas is an independent nation of around 330,000 people, made up of more than 700 islands, reefs, and islets.
The country was battered by Hurricane Matthew last year, which killed more than 270 people across the Caribbean.
Prime Minister Hubert Minnis warned residents to “take Irma seriously” earlier this week, and a hurricane warning has been issued for the islands.
The Bahamas was battered by last year’s Hurricane Matthew.
Florida
The third most-populous US state, Florida is where Hurricane Irma is expected to make final landfall, with a large chunk of the state’s population of 20 million in the path of the storm.
Residents have been told to prepare for mass evacuations, with many areas having already ordered locals to leave. But experts have warned such a large exodus could lead to miles-long gridlock, as happened with attempted mass evacuations during Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hurricane Rita in 2005.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for parts of Florida as Hurricane Irma approaches.
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