Hurricane Irma has caused more than $10 billion (8.3 billion euros) in damage across the Caribbean so far, making it the costliest storm ever to hit the region's island nations and territories, disaster risk experts said Friday.
Compiled by the Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) in Germany, the estimate covers a dozen island nations and territories hit by Friday, along with projections for the Turks and Caicos, which are on the hurricane's path.
"This will likely be a $10 billion loss across the Caribbean -- a huge loss," said James Daniell, senior risk engineer at CEDIM, and head of its Forensic Disaster Analysis Group.
The Caribbean tally is sure to rise as the super-storm hits the Bahamas on its way toward Florida, but already surpasses the costs -- excluding the United States and Mexico -- inflicted by Hurricanes Ike in 2008 and Hugo in 1989 (9.4 billion each, in 2017 dollars), Daniell said.
Hardest hit by Irma have been the Dutch Sint Maarten ($2.5 billion) and the US Virgin Islands ($2.45 billion), followed by Saint-Martin ($1.55 billion) and the British Virgin Islands ($1.4 billion).
The US territory Puerto Rico was not hit head-on by the storm, but is projected to sustain $790 million in damage, the CEDIM reported.
The $10 billion bill also excludes the more densely populated Dominican Republic and Haiti, which followed later on destructive path, and for which the tally is likely to be high.
The total bill for loss and damage could hit $120 billion once the United States is included, according to data modelling firm Enki Research.
Irma is projected to hit Florida late Saturday.
Source: AFP
GMT 23:52 2017 Tuesday ,12 December
South Florida feels first signs of Hurricane IrmaGMT 03:51 2017 Thursday ,21 September
Jose an 'extremely dangerous' Category Four hurricaneGMT 19:39 2017 Sunday ,17 September
Dreams of a fairer future on hurricane-hit St MartinGMT 20:42 2017 Tuesday ,12 September
Cuba counts the cost of deadly Hurricane IrmaGMT 01:16 2017 Friday ,08 September
Hurricane Irma destroys '95%' of French part of St MartinMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor