A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma.
Lionel Chamoiseau | AFP | Getty Images
Hurricane Irma made landfall Wednesday night, hitting the French and Dutch Caribbean island of Saint Martin hard before moving on to Puerto Rico. The hurricane, with sustained winds of more than 183 miles per hour, wreaked total destruction in its path, flooding streets, felling trees and destroying property.
Not only is this one of the strongest recorded hurricanes in history but it is also predicted to be one of the most expensive. Irma is now moving toward the Florida coast, as the Caribbean islands begin the task of assessing the damage.
— With photos from Getty Images, AP and Reuters.
The ocean surge pounds the coast of St. Martin as Hurricane Irma produces sustained winds of 183 miles per hour.
Damage of Hurricane Irma, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. Hurricane Irma, rampaging across the Caribbean, has produced sustained winds at 183 miles per hour.
Gerban Van Es | AFP | Getty Images
Hotel Mercure in Marigot, on the French side of St. Martin, suffered flooding and wind damage.
The Hotel Mercure in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, during the passage of Hurricane Irma.
Lionel Chamoiseau | AFP | Getty Images
Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency investigate an empty flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency investigate an empty flooded car during the passage of Hurricane Irma through the northeastern part of the island in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017.
Carlos Giusti | AP
Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, St. Martin.
Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma.
Lionel Chamoiseau | AFP | Getty Images
Vacationers take refuge in the Dreams Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Holidaymakers taking refuge in the Theatre building in the Dreams Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Rex Features | AP Images
Passengers wait to board their plane at the Pole Caraibes International Airport, which reopened on Sept. 6 after Hurricane Irma hit the island of Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe.
Passengers wait to board their plane at the departures terminal at the Pole Caraibes international airport in Pointe-a-Pitre, which re-opened on September 6, 2017, after hurricane Irma hit the island.
Helene Valenzuela | AFP | Getty Images
A street is flooded during the passing of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo.
A street is flooded during the passing of Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
Getty Images
NOAA's GOES satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Caribbean as a Category 5 storm.
In this NOAA handout image, NOAA's GOES satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean in to the Caribbean -- a category 5 storm with winds as high as 185 miles per hour -- today at about 3:15 pm (eastern), September 6, 2017.
Getty Images