Irma kills at least 9, 2 storms upgraded to hurricane status

Powerful Hurricane Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean on Sept. 6, as two other tropical storms, Jose in the Atlantic Ocean and Katia in the Gulf of Mexico, were upgraded to hurricane status.

Hurricane Irma, a Category Five storm is currently battering the Caribbean and threatening Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and south Florida. 

One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, it claimed at least nine lives and turned the tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin into mountains of rubble.

The hurricane churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early yesterday on a potential collision course with south Florida where at-risk areas were evacuated.

'Literally rubble'

St Martin suffered the full fury of the storm, with rescuers on the French side of the island saying at least eight people had died there and another 21 were injured.    
 
With some 95 percent of homes destroyed on the French side of the island, the other half belongs to The Netherlands, a delegation of troops, rescuers and medics arrived from France.

Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire called the situation in St Martin "dramatic," saying the island was without drinking water or electricity, and warning the death toll was almost certain to rise.

To the southeast, Barbuda, part of the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, suffered "absolute devastation" with 95 percent of properties damaged, and up to 30 percent demolished, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

"Barbuda now is literally rubble," Browne said.

One person is known to have died on the island of 1,600 residents, apparently a child whose family was trying to get to...