Posted October 7, 2017
A "merchant holiday" is supposed to be a chance for people who own stores to close up shop, gather with their families, and enjoy a day of relaxation. For many families, it's a chance to get out into nature.
But Hurricane Irma in early September walloped this tiny island nation. Barbuda was the first island in the Caribbean hit by the hurricane - and, with wind speeds reaching 295 km/h (185 mph), almost every single building and other bit of infrastructure (roads, bridges, pipes, electrical grids) was damaged or destroyed.
Thank goodness, almost everyone on the island had been evacuated to Antigua by boat - actually, before Hurricane José, one hurricane before Irma!
Aaaaannnnndd...now Barbuda is basically uninhabitable. For the first time in 300 years, nobody lives on Barbuda.
Hopefully, repairs can be made within the next few weeks (or months?) and Barbudans can go home. In the meantime, the almost 2,000 Barbudans are making a strain on the 80 thousand or so who live in Antigua. I couldn't find any info on hurricane damage to that nearby island, so I can only presume that the worst part of the storm missed it - thank goodness!
Famous actor Robert DeNiro is one owner of property on Barbuda, and he says he is committed to rebuilding "what nature has take away from us."
Here are some photos of Barbuda on sunnier days:
Hopefully the island can recover!
But Hurricane Irma in early September walloped this tiny island nation. Barbuda was the first island in the Caribbean hit by the hurricane - and, with wind speeds reaching 295 km/h (185 mph), almost every single building and other bit of infrastructure (roads, bridges, pipes, electrical grids) was damaged or destroyed.
Also on this date:
World Card Making Day(First Saturday of October)
Birthdays of musicians Yo-Yo Ma and Toni Braxton
Plan ahead:
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