Irma Leaves 'Heart-Wrenching' Devastation in Caribbean

Hurricane Irma continued to sweep through the Caribbean with devastating force early Thursday, knocking out power to an estimated 1 million people in Puerto Rico. 

The storm didn't make landfall on the island, but the National Hurricane Center says it could still get up to 20 inches of rain, making flooding a serious danger, NBC News reports. Before the storm's arrival, authorities warned that the poor state of much of Puerto Rico's infrastructure meant that the storm could lead to some areas losing power for up to six months. Irma is expected to move north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti later Thursday and approach the Bahamas by evening. 

The latest:

  • The storm dealt what Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne called "heart-wrenching" devastation to Barbuda, the smaller of the country's two islands, the New York Times reports. He said the island, home to around 1,600 people, is "literally rubble," with 95% of all structures damaged or destroyed. He said a 2-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home.

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