Island Wiped by Irma: ‘First Time in 300 Years No One Lives on Barbuda’

Island Wiped by Irma: ‘First Time in 300 Years No One Lives on Barbuda’
Houses are seen on Sept. 8, 2017 in Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda, devastated by Hurricane Irma. GEMMA HANDY/AFP/Getty Images
Petr Svab
Petr Svab
reporter
|Updated:

No one is now living on a small Caribbean island deemed uninhabitable after Hurricane Irma decimated it on Sept. 6.

The island of Barbuda, part of the Antigua and Barbuda nation, is only about 15 miles long and about 6 miles wide. It bore the full brunt of Irma’s 185 mph winds. Some 95 percent of buildings were damaged, as well as all critical infrastructure. The island has no running water, power, or communication services.

Petr Svab
Petr Svab
reporter
Petr Svab is a reporter covering New York. Previously, he covered national topics including politics, economy, education, and law enforcement.
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