Warning alerts given by the ministry
Source: French Ministry of Overseas
The toll "will be hard and cruel, we will have to deplore victims," “‹“‹said President Emmanuel Macron.
President Macron gave a press briefing following a crisis meeting with the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Annick Girardin, Minister for Overseas Territories. The latter went tomorrow to the site with reinforcements in material resources and human resources. He announced the creation of an emergency fund following the cyclone IRMA, which continues its journey to Puerto Rico, Florida, Classified in category 5 - the highest - on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Hurricane Irma, which represents the size of five times France, crossed the islands of the northeast of the Lesser Antilles, namely Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, and caused enormous damage and devastation in these two islands. The police station of Saint Martin, is partly destroyed, and the power electric stations as well: that had consequently plunged the inhabitants in the black.The streets have been flooded with boats that have wrecked roofs flying, buildings destroyed and dwellings roads ... The French territories of St. Bartholomew and St. Martin have suffered on Wednesday huge colossal damage. Victims are to be deplored, to this day, not yet counted.------------------------------------------------------------------------
Torn roofs, uprooted palms, cars swallowed up by waves ... Hurricane Irma crossed the islands of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin a little to the north-west, sowing the desolation on its way. Classified in category 5 - the highest - on the Saffir-Simpson scale, this phenomenon "exceptionally dangerous" according to Météo France, caused serious damage in these two territories of the French Antilles, announced the ministers of the Interior and Overseas. On Wednesday evening, a first report revealed at least two dead and two seriously wounded.
“THE TOLL WILL BE HEAVY AND CRUEL“ PRESIDENT MACRON SAID------------------------------------------------------
The record "will be hard and cruel, we will have to deplore victims," “‹“‹said Emmanuel Macron. The head of state announced the establishment "as soon as possible" of a "national reconstruction plan" in St. Bartholomew and St. Martin as well as an emergency fund.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overseas Minister Annick Girardin visited Guadeloupe on Wednesday evening, "with new material and human reinforcements". A relatively untouched territory - the red warning to the cyclone was lifted in the morning - unlike the two northern islands, which had been placed in the night in purple alert, with confinement of the populations.
According to Annick Girardin, some 16,000 people are affected and the authorities are particularly concerned about the fate of nearly 7,000 people who have refused to take shelter. "We are mobilized to act very, very quickly," she said at the end of the Council of Ministers. The material damage seems already important. We have enormous winds. We have a lot to fear for a number of our fellow citizens who unfortunately did not want to hear the protective measures and go to the most secure sites. "In Saint-Martin, "four buildings, which were the most solid, were destroyed, so it means that probably the buildings that were more rustic were partially or totally destroyed," said the Minister of the Interior, Gerard Collomb. The prefecture was partly destroyed, the roof "flew", according to the minister, obliging "the prefect and 23 people" to take refuge in a concreted room. He also mentioned many floods: "In the lower quarters, there is a lot of water, about a meter". The chain Guadeloupe 1st indicates that the roof of the hospital of Saint-Martin was also torn off. On the Dutch side of this island, the local media talk of "colossal damage". On the social networks, residents post impressive videos taken from their balcony: flooded streets where planks and multiple debris derive, waves of ten to twelve meters high, wrecked ships and torrential rains. An amateur video shows half-submerged cars, shattered boats, covered with felled palm trees. In St. Barthelemy, the port of Gustavia is devastated. The fire station is "flooded under a meter of water", and "all gear is out of service," the prefecture writes in a statement. Paris activated the interministerial crisis cell: some sixty civil defense professionals had been sent as reinforcements upstream in the two islands."The teams are there. Source : Figaro, AFP, France TV
