St Martin, St Barth Pummeled by Irma

By: - September 6th, 2017

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Category-5 Hurricane Irma pummeled the dual-nation island of St Martin/St Maarten and nearby St Barth on Wednesday, leaving massive flooding and widespread destruction.

The storm caused the deaths of at least two people, confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said the damage would be “harsh and cruel.”

“Structural damage on the two islands is considerable,” he said.

The damage at Princess Juliana Airport.

Crucially, the storm also devastated the Dutch side’s Princess Juliana International Airport, a major hub for the wider Caribbean region, though the extent of the damage was not yet clear.

Macron said his government was mobilizing a total response to the disaster, setting up an emergency fund and beginning to implement a reconstruction plan.

French Overseas Minister Annick Girardin will visit Thursday to assess and bring resources to the island.

News

Nevis Steers Clear of Major Irma Damage

The island of Nevis steered clear of major damage from Hurricane Irma, according to a statement from the island’s tourism authority. Irma’s landfall was not a direct hit, meaning damage was what officials called “minimal,” with winds closer to that of a Category 1 storm. While there is still no all clear, it appears electricity […]

News

The Early Reports on Anguilla After Irma

By the Caribbean Journal staff Hurricane Irma passed over Anguilla in the early morning hours on Wednesday, dumping heavy rains and strong winds, and causing significant damage. There was no loss of life, the country’s Tourist Board said in a preliminary statement. The extent of physical damage was still not yet known though clearly widespread. […]

News

Antigua “Open For Business” After Irma; Barbuda "Destroyed"

By the Caribbean Journal staff While the island of Barbuda was right in the eye of Hurricane Irma, leading to at least three deaths and massive destruction, its neighboring island of Antigua was largely spared, officials said. There was no loss of life in Antigua due to the storm, and most residential, business and hotel […]

Hurricane Irma Makes Landfall in the Caribbean

 By the Caribbean Journal staff Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Caribbean’s Leeward Islands on Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. Irma thrashed Barbuda with 185-mph winds before making landfall in St Barth and St Martin this morning with massive winds and flooding. While the eye of the […]
delta bogota flights

Bogota’s Big Hotel Growth

 By the Caribbean Journal staff Colombia’s tourism investment has been surging in recent years, most notably in the Caribbean coastal town of Cartagena. But the country’s increasingly hip capital is seeing a hotel boom of its own. Bogota has more than 1,752 hotel rooms in construction across seven projects, according to the latest data from […]
airbnb caribbean

Airbnb Is Booming in the Caribbean

 By the Caribbean Journal staff Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Caribbean’s Leeward Islands on Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. Irma thrashed Barbuda with 185-mph winds before making landfall in St Barth and St Martin this morning with massive winds and flooding. While the eye of the […]

Bahamasair Launches New Cap-Haitien Flights

 By the Caribbean Journal staff Bahamian national carrier Bahamasair has officially launched its new weekly service between Nassau and the Haitian city of Cap-Haitien. The flights were inaugurated with a ceremony at Cap Haitien’s Hugo Chavez International Airport. Haiti Tourism Minister Jessy Menos said the new air link was particularly important given the large population […]