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Two hundred Royal Marines were scrambled to the Caribbean today as Britain stepped up the rescue mission for islands ripped apart by Hurricane Irma.
A state of emergency was declared in the British Virgin Islands early today and the Category Five storm barrelled across the low-lying Turks and Caicos islands this morning.
At least 87,000 British nationals, including holidaymakers and residents, were believed to have been on four islands lashed by the hurricane. One of the worst storms to hit the region for a century, it left a trail of devastation and at least 14 dead, with fears that the casualty toll could rise sharply.
The UK was racing to deliver aid to its stricken overseas territories amid claims that France and the Netherlands have been quicker to support their dependencies.
Hurricane Irma – In pictures
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach
AP
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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Damage outside the “Mercure” hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches.
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Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango’s, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma
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A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid
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A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida
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Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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HMS Ocean, as a military task group, is on its way on HMS Ocean with several hundred UK troops to offer assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma as the storm continues to lay waste to swathes of the Caribbean, including British overseas territories
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the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten
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Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees
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Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Damage from Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport
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Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean
AP
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sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean
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Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport
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damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Destroyed palm trees, outside the “Mercure” hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Damaged vehicles are seen following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin
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A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin
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Ships wrecked ashore, in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Damage outside “Le flamboyant” hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin
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More damage in Saint Martin
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
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Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida
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Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands
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A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean
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Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
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Damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
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Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
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Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA
epa
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
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iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
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Barbuda
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Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
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A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy
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Saint Martin
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Barbuda
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Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
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Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy
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People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
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Barbuda
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A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island
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Barbuda
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Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico
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The destruction at Sir Richard Branson’s island of Necker
Sir Richard Branson
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Saint Martin
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A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John’s
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Florida residents fleeing from the expected path of Irma
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Cars left flooded in Saint Martin
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Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding
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Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin
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Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin
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Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin
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Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin
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Saint Martin
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Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma
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A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image
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A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma
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Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe’s in Jacksonville, Florida
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Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma
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Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami
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Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma
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Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
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Cars wait in line at a petrol station in North Miami as people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma
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People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin
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Residents and municipal employees work together to fill sandbags at Bartlett Park as residents in the area gather supplies and prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma in St. Petersburg, Florida
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A shelf normally containing packaged water is empty at a Piggly Wiggly store in Panama City, Florida
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People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches
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A thermal image of Harricane Irma
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Men in Puerto Rico board up their homes as Hurricane Irma heads for Caribbean
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Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose
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Two planes, a C17 and a Voyager, were flying from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, carrying around 200 Royal Marines, engineers and life-saving equipment destined for the British Virgin Islands.
Navy ship the RFA Mounts Bay was also sailing towards the islands amid fears that they have been even harder hit than Anguilla, where British military teams worked to reopen the airport so aid could be flown in.
The RFA Mounts Bay (MoD/Crown copyright 2017)
Thousands of Britons on holiday, or visiting friends and family, in the Caribbean were caught up in the catastrophe. With phone masts brought down on several islands, many have been unable to contact relatives in the UK, raising fears over their safety.
British Virgin Islands governor Gus Jaspert declared a state of emergency, with roads impassable and rescue services unable to reach some areas. “We are aiming to provide some level of access to communities while we wait for help,” he said. “Please keep off the roads unless absolutely necessary to allow access to emergency services. International assistance has been requested from the United Kingdom.”
There are more than 40 islands with over 30,000 residents.
Briton Emily Killhoury, who lives on the isle of Tortola with her husband Michael and their two young children, told how Irma struck. “Our downstairs doors suddenly blew out, which was terrifying. We just stayed hiding,” she said. “We eventually emerged at about 7pm to see total devastation. Everybody is shocked, but trying to be practical.”
Relief efforts: Troops in the storm-hit region (MoD/Crown copyright 2017)
Dan Perkins, who is helping to run a Facebook page co-ordinating the search for missing Britons in the Virgin Islands, told Sky News: “There are hundreds of people who are yet to check in and confirm they are safe.
“We are hoping, in the vast majority of cases. that is because they don’t have telephone reception. But even those who are safe are in appalling conditions on the ground… they are in desperate need of shelter and supplies.”
Fergus Thomas, a humanitarian adviser at the Department for International Development, said: “The British Virgin Islands, which as far as we know, have been majorly, catastrophically hit.”
The Turks and Caicos islands’ government declared a national shutdown.
Around 35,000 British nationals are understood to live on the islands, a further 15,000 on Anguilla and 5,000 on Montserrat.
Miami Beach a ghost town as Florida braces for Hurricane Irma
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Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach
AP
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Workers finish covering the ground floor windows of the Chesterfield Hotel as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma
Getty Images
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A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florida
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A 55 Chevy sits in front of the closed Oceans Ten Restaurant at the Edison Hotel on Ocean Drive as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma
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The Boulevard Hotel remains open as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Florida
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The Carlye Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma
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The Breakwater Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma
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A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florida
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A runner jogs on a nearly-deserted beach in Miami Beach, Florid
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The Leslie Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma
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A man takes a photo with his cellphone alongside a boarded-up restaurant following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida
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A nearly-deserted beach after a mandatory evacuation order from Miami Beach, Florida
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Trash cans and all beach items will be removed from the beach in preparing for approaching Hurricane Irma
Getty Images
The storm, the size of France and with winds of up to 185mph, also soaked the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti as it headed towards Florida. where a mass evacuation of residents was under way. With communities across several islands including Barbuda flattened by Irma, the Caribbean was already bracing itself for another major hurricane, Jose, now a Category Three storm and due in the north-eastern Caribbean on Saturday.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland said: “People talk about the existential threat of climate change as if it’s not real — this is real — if you look at what happens to Barbuda, having a hurricane wipe out everything on your island. That is the existential threat.”
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned: “There are now further storms moving in. Hurricane Jose. We have sent, as you know, RFA Monts Bay which will be moving from Anguila to the British Virgin Islands later on this morning to distribute humanitarian aid there. We’ve announced a £32 million aid package for the area. We’re sending a Foreign Office team as well as DFID teams and UK troops.”
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon was due to chair another meeting of Whitehall’s emergency Cobra committee this afternoon. HMS Ocean was also heading for the region and the Foreign Office set up a hotline for those worried about relatives or friends in the Caribbean on 0207 008 0000.
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