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Monday
September 11, 2017
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Irmageddon Avoided

At Press Time: Hurricane Irma Largely Spares Florida

An American flag is torn as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
By JENNIFER KAY construction cranes over day. Florida’s palm trees with ing Irma’s destructive trek
FREIDA FRISARO the Miami skyline. “Pray, pray for everybody drenching squalls. A storm across the Caribbean.
Associated Press The 400-mile-wide (640-ki- in Florida,” Gov. Rick Scott surge of over 10 feet (3 Many streets were flooded
MIAMI (AP) — A monster lometer-wide) storm blew said on “Fox News Sunday” meters) was recorded in in downtown Miami and
Hurricane Irma roared into ashore in the morning in as more than 160,000 peo- the Keys, and forecasters other cities. In the low-lying
Florida with 130 mph winds the mostly cleared-out Flor- ple statewide waited it out warned some places on Keys, boats were reported
Sunday for what could ida Keys and then began a in shelters. the mainland could get up sunk and appliances and
be a sustained assault on slow march up the state’s Irma struck as a Category to 15 feet of water. furniture were seen floating
nearly the entire Sunshine west coast. Forecasters 4 but by late afternoon There were no immediate away, but the full extent of
State, submerging streets, said it could hit the heav- had weakened to a Cat- confirmed reports of any Irma’s fury there was not
knocking out power to mil- ily populated Tampa-St. egory 2 with 110 mph (177 deaths in Florida, on top clear.
lions and snapping massive Petersburg area early Mon- kph) winds that whipped of the 24 people killed dur- Continued on page 3
Macron to Visit Caribbean as France Defends Hurricane Prep

By AMANDINE ASCENCIO towns were devastated. ing to destruction on the British number of houses, cars and boats
ANGELA CHARLTON French President Emmanuel Ma- Virgin Islands and the Dutch gov- and cutting off all water and elec-
Associated Press cron announced he would be ernment faced criticism for not tricity for days. Extra troops had
MARIGOT, St. Martin (AP) — The traveling to St. Martin on Tuesday acting more quickly to evacuate to be sent to stop the looting of
French government on Sunday on an Airbus carrying aid supplies tourists stranded on St. Maarten, stores. Another four people were
defended its hurricane prepara- to show that Paris is committed to the Dutch side of St. Martin. The killed on St. Maarten.
tions for the hard-hit Caribbean both helping and rebuilding its far- Dutch king is also heading to the The arrival of Hurricane Jose, a
islands of St. Martin and St. Barts, away territories pummeled by Hur- region. Category 4 that passed by on Sun-
rejecting criticism by political op- ricane Irma. The hurricane killed at least nine day, only delayed recovery efforts
ponents and by islanders who felt Some Caribbean officials said Brit- people on St. Martin as it hit across the Leeward Islands.
abandoned as their homes and ain was also too slow in respond- Wednesday, destroying a huge Continued on page 3