Hurricane Irma body count to rise as Tsunami-height 20ft waves hit Turks in HOURS
HURRICANE Irma will bring a catastrophic TSUNAMI to the British territory Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas in hours with 20-foot waves hitting Nassau and the entire east of the islands later tonight.
EPA • AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Hurricane Irma will bring a catastrophic Tsunami to the British territory tiny
So far the islands struck by Irma, including Antigua and Barbuda, St Barts and St Kitts, have faced catastrophic damage from hyper-powerful winds – but wave damage has been relatively light as waves have only measured four to six feet.
In the USA most hurricane deaths are from drowning – most often motorists attempting to escape the killer weather.
CNN weather anchor Tom Sater said: “A six-foot storm surge becomes a 20-foot storm surge as Irma hits the quadrant which includes Turks and Caicos and Bahamas.
“This is simply a once in a generation hurricane.”
AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The tiny group of islands face the most brutal assault from Hurricane Irma
This is simply a once in a generation hurricane
“Irma will track just north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday and will be near the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas by Thursday evening.
“Hurricane warnings have been issued for parts of the northern coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the southeastern, central and northwestern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“Additionally, a tropical storm warning is in effect for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano westward to the border with Haiti and for the coast of Haiti from south of Le Mole St. Nicholas to Port-Au-Prince. A tropical storm warning is also in effect for the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas.
Hurricane Irma’s path is expected to take the following trajectory:
Dominican Republic/Haiti: Thursday; tropical storm force winds will spread across the Dominican Republic during the morning and midday Thursday in Haiti
Turks and Caicos: Late Thursday-Friday
Bahamas: Friday-this weekend; tropical storm force winds may arrive as early as late Thursday
Cuba: Friday-this weekend; tropical storm force winds will arrive as early as Thursday night
Family spend day on Miami beach before Hurricane Irma hits
Islands already hit by Hurricane Irma include:
Puerto Rico Puerto Rican Virgin Islands: Vieques, Culebra)
United States Virgin Islands U.S.
Virgin Islands: St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Water Island
Experts fear the 20 foot high waves will inevitably lead to major loss of life
Anguilla (U.K., under the British Crown)
The collectivity of Saint Martin Sint Maarten Saint Martin/Sint Maarten (Fr./Neth.)
Saint Barthélemy Saint-Barthélemy (Fr.)
Saba Saba (Neth.)
REUTERS
The body count is expected to rise from Hurricane Irma
Saint Kitts Saint Kitts (Commonwealth, forms a state under the British Crown with Nevis; see Nevis)
Nevis Nevis (Commonwealth; see St. Kitts)
Antigua and Barbuda Barbuda (Commonwealth; see Antigua)
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua (Commonwealth, forms a state under the British Crown with Barbuda)
Montserrat (U.K.)
Guadeloupe (Fr. overseas department)