Damage from Hurricane Irma was severe enough to make a noticeable short-term dent on the US economy, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Tuesday, with assessment and clean-up underway in storm-ravaged Florida. Hardest hit were the Florida Keys - where authorities estimated that 25 per cent of homes were irreparably flattened - and the city of Jacksonville, 700 kilometres to the north, which suffered widespread flooding. The rest of the state suffered significant wind damage, coastal flooding from storm surge and heavy rain. Walt Disney World and competing theme parks near Orlando in central Florida reopened after imposing rare closures on Sunday and Monday. The White House said that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania would travel to Florida on Thursday.

Source: The China Post September 13, 2017 03:11 UTC