Briton 'almost killed' by washing machine as Hurricane Irma hit British Virgin Islands
With reports of civil unrest, divided families and dwindling supplies, many fear that recovery may be slow in a ravaged Caribbean.
Monday 11 September 2017 21:46, UK
A British mother has said she narrowly avoided being killed by a washing machine as her home was battered by Hurricane Irma.
Sarah Penney, a UK citizen who was born and raised in the British Virgin Islands, was sheltering with her eight-month-old baby, 70-year-old mother and a friend when the hurricane hit her home on Tortola.
While trying to fasten a piece of wood back on a door, Ms Penney saw her washing machine lift off the ground and fall in her direction.
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However, the 33-year-old was saved by her friend, who pushed the appliance into the direction of the wind.
Ms Penney said: "It slammed into me, but it would have taken me if Chouby hadn't been able to be right next to me and just push it so that it got directed into the wind.
"I sincerely would not be alive, I would not have survived Hurricane Irma, had he not been there."
Ms Penney said the affect of the storm had left islanders feeling "like we've been bombed".
"There isn't a single leaf on a tree, there's no trees," she added. "I think humans have fared a lot better than animals. It's going to take a generation to come back from this."
Another Briton, Laura Elliott, has been separated from her fiance and two young children by the storm.
Ms Elliott has lived on Tortola for two years but was away from the island when Irma hit. She says her family have been "engulfed by collapsed jungle".
With food and supplies for just five days, she is currently battling to try to get them flown to safety and is facing a race against time to get passports for her 10-month-old son and 23-month-old daughter.
She said: "People are trying to make efforts to evacuate them but they can't actually get them to a plane or a boat or anything like that."
"You fear that they are going to run out of supplies and it's going to become difficult for them."
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Dozens of people were killed as Irma left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless and causing billions of pounds of damage.
With reports of stranded families, flooded homes and civil unrest following the storm, concerns are growing as survivors now face running out of supplies.
On the islands of St Martin and St Barts, where smashed cars and boats line the streets, at least 10 people have lost their lives.
Ten people in Cuba were also killed by Irma, the country's government has confirmed.
Up to 90% of the island of Barbuda has been destroyed, with the hurricane killing a small child and causing hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage which has left the island "barely habitable".
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Four people have died in St Martin, and reports of looting have led security forces to act with a "firm hand", increasing the number of soldiers to 550. The island has also been left with no gas or drinking water.
Raging onwards from the Leeward Islands, Irma grazed Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti before hitting Cuba at full category five force.
Three people were killed by the storm in Puerto Rico, and hundreds of thousands were left without electricity - prompting Donald Trump to issue a disaster declaration.
Parts of Cuba's capital, Havana, have been left waist-deep in water after 11m (36ft) waves pummelled the north coast.
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Buildings have been filled with dirty water, and it could be days before power is restored to all homes.
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has pledged to be there "in the long term" for British people whose Caribbean homes have been ripped apart by the storm.
Following criticism that the UK has been slow to help nationals trapped in the aftermath, he said there had been an "unprecedented" relief effort from the Government.
The Government has also said it will match public donations to the Red Cross, in addition to the £32m set aside following the disaster.