Hurricanes Katia and Jose Threaten Mexico, Eastern Caribbean | Democracy Now!

9.9.17

Hurricanes Katia and Jose Threaten Mexico, Eastern Caribbean | Democracy Now!: Meanwhile, forecasters warned that Hurricane Katia could strengthen in the warm waters of the western Gulf of Mexico into a major hurricane before it makes landfall in the Mexican state of Veracruz, south of flood-ravaged Texas, which is still reeling from mass flooding after Harvey’s landfall less than two weeks ago. And in the eastern Caribbean, Hurricane Jose is threatening to bring fierce winds and a storm surge to the island of Barbuda, where Hurricane Irma damaged 95 percent of the island’s buildings after it hit on Tuesday.

--

Powerful Hurricane Irma Pummels Turks and Caicos, Spares Hispaniola | Democracy Now! - Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Atlantic storm ever recorded, laid waste to parts of the Caribbean overnight, pummeling Turks and Caicos, hammering the Bahamas and taking aim at South Florida, home to millions of residents. The storm’s death toll rose to 18, but officials warned that figure will increase as rescue workers search through the rubble of islands that have seen over 90 percent of all buildings destroyed. Irma weakened slightly as it pushed west, and was downgraded Friday from a Category 5 to 4 storm, but it remains extremely dangerous, with sustained winds of 155 miles per hour. The storm lashed the northern Dominican Republic Thursday and flooded parts of Haiti overnight, but Irma’s eye passed well north of Hispaniola, sparing the two countries from the worst of the hurricane’s wrath.