Miami, Fla., Sep 7, 2017 / 16:42 pm
As Hurricane Irma moves through the Atlantic – one of the strongest storms ever recorded in that ocean – Catholic groups are offering prayers and helping prepare for the recovery efforts ahead.
A Category 5 storm with winds reaching 180 miles an hour, Hurricane Irma tore through the Caribbean on Wednesday, leaving behind what officials described as unprecedented destruction.
Almost every building on the small island of Barbuda was damaged, the AP reported. In Puerto Rico, nearly 900,000 people were left without power, and the U.S. Virgin Islands sustained severe damage to crucial infrastructure, including the main hospital on the island of St. Thomas.
The Dominican Republic and Haiti were both in the storm's path on Thursday. The northern coast of the two countries is particularly at risk for flooding and landslides, due to its low elevation and inadequate draining.