In reply to LBW375
Unbelievable.
In reply to LBW375
Will the British evacuate anguilla? What will the French and Dutch do for st Martin?
Worrying weekend. ....
In reply to LBW375
Everyone has been evacuated
In reply to Chrissy
Good news
What are the chances that these same islands that got hammered by Irma are going to get affected AGAIN by another category 4 storm within a week?
This is insane. It appears that every few years a segment of the island chain is chosen for that kind of misery.
The irony here is that the LEEward islands are getting affected. These are areas typically sheltered or away from the wind.
In reply to Chrissy
More here
"On Barbuda, a coral island rising 125ft above sea level, authorities ordered an evacuation of all 1,400 people to neighbouring Antigua, where Stevet Jeremiah was reunited with one son and made plans to bury another."
Good to see the Antiguan government trying to evacuate the residents of Barbuda. The question is, what is the British govt doing about the residents on Anguilla? What are the Dutch and French govts doing about the residents on St Martin?
In reply to mikesiva
Two very different cases.
Anguilla and St. Maarten have the infrastructure and will get the resources (from UK, Holland, France) to recover. Anguillians depend on St. Maarten as a source for tax free goods and equipment and transport to Anguilla. As St. Marten recovers so will Anguilla.
Barbuda has very little infrastructure and depends on the limited resources of Antigua and Caribbean generosity. About 15 years ago Jamaican linesmen played a big role in restoring electricity distribution lines in Antigua after a hurricane. Lots of 'goodwill' there for Jamaicans. I expect the same will happen in Barbuda, except more slowly in the absence of residential accommodation even for restoration workers.
In reply to Headley
Many on the island accused Theresa May of not offering enough support to Britons in the Caribbean, with Britain’s “pathetic” response compared to that of France’s for St Barts, St Martin and Guadeloupe.
France had troops on the ground before the storm hit, and President Macron has committed to an emergency fund and reconstruction plan to deal wth the aftermath of Irma.
Josephine Gumbs-Conner, a lawyer from the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m am truly disappointed. If we are indeed supposed to be in a partnership then it should work far more effectively than it is doing now.”
Hurricane Irma, now the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history, hit the Caribbean yesterday killing 10 and causing major damage compared to the aftermath of a “nuclear bomb”.
Ms Gumbs-Conner added: “Anguilla is utterly devastated.
“When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation. We are in such a compromised position at the moment.
“This kind of devastation is so significant and so widespread that to be able to put us back and make us whole again, with help it could happen perhaps in about six months.”
Dorothea Hodge, a former UK EU representative for the government of Anguilla, slammed the UK’s slow reaction, after International Development Secretary Priti Patel announced the deployment of three UK humanitarian experts and a British naval ship yesterday.
She told the Guardian: “It’s absolutely disgraceful that it has taken the whole day for Priti Patel to respond to the worst hurricane we have seen in a British territory since the 1920s.
“What is needed now is a commitment to an immediate effective humanitarian, response, food, water, shelter, emergency health care, and a long-term reconstruction fund to get the island back on its feet after this battering.”
More here
I watched Josephine Gumbs-Conner on ITV pointing out that when Jose hits, there will be lots of projectiles created by Irma, that will be flying around during Jose. As we can see, folks in Anguilla have not been pleased at the slow response by the UK. The response by the Antiguan government has been more proactive.
In Barbuda, the officials say that 95-100% of the homes have been destroyed. In St Martin, French officials say that 60% of homes are no longer habitable, and there is now widespread looting on the island. To me, there's not a lot of difference between 60% and 95-100%, at least not enough for the European mother countries to leave them to face another hurricane.
In reply to mikesiva
Yes Anguillians are justified to complain.
Barbudians have no one to complain to or complain about.
Jose is attempting to be a naughty boy. Looking to loop back on the Bahamas
In reply to Maispwi
Lucky for Anguilla and St Martin that Jose chose to give them a miss...thank God for that!
In reply to mikesiva
CARICOM's CDEMA evacuated everyone for the Antigua & Barbuda government.
That said the PM has surprised me big time.
In reply to Chrissy
"In better news, the US National Hurricane Center has downgraded the former Hurricane Jose to a tropical storm. But the NHC does warn that Jose could still cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions along the US east coast, Bermuda and the Bahamas for several more days."
More here
In reply to mikesiva
Yeah that storm just keeps on hovering around the place. We been getting a good chunk of rain on and off the past few days.
