Incidentally, there's been no communication from Barbuda for several hours

[jberryhill]

While Trump's estate is fascinating, an entire island has gone silent.

That's not entirely unusual, but since the last report of the roof coming off of the police station there has been silence.

http://theweek.com/speedreads/723014/hurricane-irma-left-caribbean-island-barbuda-completely-cut-from-outside-world

The tiny island of Barbuda, part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, has been without connection to the outside world since Hurricane Irma knocked out its communications early Wednesday morning, CNN reports. Infrastructure on the island is "so badly damaged that there is no communication,"

[leftstreet]

1. Twitterers say PM Browne is to make a stmt soon

Link to tweet

This was about 10 minutes ago

[Lochloosa]

2. I wonder why....that is Barbuda in the eye.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029562548

[AtheistCrusader]

22. Correct. That is the island of Barbuda. Or what is left of it.

Direct hit/interface with the leading and tailing eye-wall of the hurricane.

Edit, sorry, I thought you said 'is that' not 'that is'.

[FLPanhandle]

3. I'm sure someone there has a satellite phone

No surprise other communication is down. No power.

[jberryhill]

9. Yep

Situation was similar in Cayman in 2004. Obviously, anyone there who can communicate has their hands full doing just that.

[icymist]

4. Maho Beach Cam is a 24/7 live streaming Internet video broadcast; shows the intensity of Irma

From another camera at another angle

Maho Beach Cam is a 24/7 live streaming Internet video broadcast produced by PTZtv in association with Travel Rent-a-Car and Triple AAA Car Rental at SXM in St. Maarten.

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. I'm very nervous.

A young man my family hosted for a summer has family there.

[applegrove]

6. Vibes to Barbuda.

[greyl]

7. ABS TV says PM is on the way, not looking good, live broadcast:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/abstvradio/videos/

[greyl]

8. PM Gaston Browne says over 90% of structures demolished.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/abstvradio/videos/

[Egnever]

10. ugh

I am afraid this hurricane will make Harvey look tame.

[Hortensis]

11. Another report is that Barbuda was spared the worst. That doesn't mean

the damage wasn't devastating to many, though.

NY Times:

Hurricane Irma: ‘We Will Have Victims to Lament’
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/world/americas/hurricane-irma-update.html?mcubz=0&_r=0

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. That 'spared the worst' was based on reports *before* communication was cut off

This '90% of buildings destroyed' comes from when they've actually been there to look.

[Hortensis]

16. Apparently they were spared closer to 100%, and more deaths. The storm track wasn't

quite as close as feared -- something that can be reliably determined from outside.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. The eye passed directly over the island

see https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029562548

[B2G]

18. Welp, when you're wrong, you're really wrong. nt

[jberryhill]

20. The storm track was bang on

They went through the eyewall twice:



That thing in the center of the eye is Barbuda.

[Hortensis]

21. Apparently I am, and the report I based it on. I'd rather have been right.

[cwydro]

12. When Andrew came through South Florida, I was in the Keys.

CNN and other news agencies reported "Keys destroyed." We had no power though, and were unable to communicate with the mainland. The tieline was severed.

We barely had a gust. Scared the hell out of my parents in another state.

I believe nothing until I know. I do understand people are bloodthirsty and want misery to feast on though. Sickens me.

[Hortensis]

19. Too true. Most people in most disaster areas learn about it on TV.

Won't be the case for Barbudians, of course, but the media can be relied on to depict us all as Barbudians. And then they change the subject as the truth becomes evident. I had to search and search for information about how much of Houston was not flooded, and never found really satisfying answers, just notions.

Our neighbors in the Tampa Bay area put our patio furniture inside our MH a little while ago, before they headed off north with their grandchildren. Should be on the road now. Their daughter and SIL work in a hospital and remain.

Our next-door neighbor in central Florida reports very long lines for gas and clearing supermarket shelves in markets this morning. It'd be some while before it got there, if it does, but this is action by the been-there-before people. Of course, the media will report people "panicking," aka preparing.

Saw it over and over in Southern California with various earthquakes, storms, and firestorms.

[ananda]

13. The Guardian reports that ..

Barbuda and Antigua are over 90% destroyed.

[B2G]

15. Thank you.

If I read one more post about Trump's properties and how much the posters hope they'll be hit, I'm going to fucking lose it.

[JHan]

23. The leewards will be hit hard. I can't even imagine the extensive damage as a result of this.