Hurricane Irma ripped roofs off houses, collapsed buildings and flooded hundreds of miles of coastline as it raked Cuba after cutting a trail of destruction across the Caribbean. Video images from northern and eastern Cuba showed uprooted utility poles and signs, many downed trees and extensive damage to roofs. Before slamming into Cuba, Irma had caused havoc in lush Caribbean resorts such as St. Martin, St. Barts, St. Thomas, Barbuda and Anguilla, where many residents said they felt abandoned by officials. Carol Basch, a 53-year-old tourist from Savannah, Ga., took refuge during the storm in the bathroom of her St. Martin hotel room after windows shattered. The U.S. National Hurricane Center downgraded a hurricane warning for Barbuda and Anguilla.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 10, 2017 15:51 UTC