Antigua 'spared worst' by Hurricane Irma but Barbuda situation unclear

Last updated: September 6, 2017 at 14:54 pm

The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda has said that the larger of the twin islands was lucky to have avoided the very worst of Hurricane Irma.

The fate of Barbuda, however, is unclear, with communication cut off from around midnight

Writing on Facebook, Gaston Browne said: “Thank God for his mercies and blessings. He has protected and spared us from the worst of Irma. Thank God that there are no fatalities nor, hurricane casualties reported up to this time.

"With all hands and deck, we now must focus on the recovery efforts that should be swift. It should be business as usual within the next 12-24 hours. Once again, give thanks and praise to Jah for his mercies and blessings.”

Antigua damage

WIC News has been receiving numerous reports from Antigua in the last 12 hours.

Roofs have been damaged in Crosbies, Fort Road, Clare Hall, Grays Farm and Pigotts – and in some cases have been removed entirely.

Telephone poles and wires, as well as trees, have come down in Freetown, Bethesda, Hodges Bay.

[caption id="attachment_1227" align="alignright" width="300"] Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda.[/caption] A container fire was extinguished in Friars Hill Road, WIC News understands.

In a statement this morning, the National Office of Disaster Services said: “There’ve been no reports of deaths so far. Three persons sought medical attention at the Mount St John Medical Centre. They were for minor incidents.

“We are presently trying to re-establish communication with Barbuda to get a clearer picture of the situation there. The last communication with Barbuda was about 12.30am.

“Before communication was lost we got reports of several buildings having damaged roofs to include the police station. The Barbuda Weather Station, monitored by the Met Office, recorded sustained winds of 119 mph and gusts of 150mph.

“The preliminary report is indicating that damage across Antigua and Barbuda is minimal.”