Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 06, 2017 (SKNIS)—The people of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis are giving thanks to God as there was no loss of life or injury attributed to Hurricane Irma, a potentially catastrophic category five hurricane with wind speed of 185 miles per hour, one of the worst in a decade, which made landfall in the Federation in the early morning of Wednesday 6th September, 2017.
Although there was no loss of life or injury, because of the ferocity of the wind, several persons suffered damages to their homes and property; trees were felled and poles and powerlines were downed. Water was shut off as a safety measure to prevent excessive siltation and there was loss of power in some communities.
However, the relevant authorities are working assiduously to restore all the essential services, including water and power, and have given the assurance that these will be returned in the shortest possible time.
The Chair of the Executive of the National Emergency Operations Center, Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Shawn Richards, has officially given the all clear for the country to resume normalcy after the Rapid Assessment Team completed its task.
“We are very pleased at the Agency that the general public adhered to our safety messages and acted accordingly and responsibly. The Agency encourages all to continue to exercise caution as we continue to assess the impacts of Hurricane Irma,” said Claricia Langley-Stevens, Deputy National Disaster Coordinator at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
