Hurricane Irma evacuees started to return home to the Florida Keys on Tuesday, but found their homes almost unrecognizable. They were face-to-face with devastation and debris with an approximately 25% of dwellings destroyed. FEMA reported that 65% of homes in the Florida Keys sustained major damage when they took a direct him from Irma.
Millions still had no power Tuesday night, faced brutal heat, gas shortages, and unstable telecommunications. Florida’s damage due to the hurricane was severe, and is responsible for eight deaths statewide. Yet, the majority of Irma’s fatalities came from parts of the Caribbean islands.
President Emmanuel Macron of France visited Saint Martin on Tuesday and promised to rebuild the island. Eleven people on St. Martin were killed when Hurricane Irma blasted through a week ago, destroying buildings and homes, disrupting the electricity, and cutting off water supplies. In the upcoming days, 1,500 troops, police, and emergency workers will be on the ground to assist, French authorities said.
In America, people see the need to help in any way possible. In a celebrity-filled fundraiser Tuesday night, $14 million was raised for the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in the Hand-in-Hand telethon. President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Florida on Thursday to survey the damage and see what is left behind from Hurricane Irma.