- After lashing Florida, Hurricane Irma has weakened to a category 1 storm
- Irma has now moved 25 miles northeast of Tampa, Florida, US forecasters say
- Over six million people in Florida had to be evacuated ahead of the storm
- French President Emmanuel Macron will visit island of St Martin on Tuesday
- At least 28 people have reportedly been killed in the Caribbean islands due to the hurricane
- At least 36 people were killed across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
- Hurricanes Katia and Jose are reportedly gaining momentum
At Least 36 Killed Across Three States
Irma killed at least 36 people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to officials. Some 4.2 million homes and businesses, or about 9 million people, were without power on Wednesday in Florida and nearby states.
Two elderly residents were found dead at the nursing home in Florida, and four later died at a hospital. Police opened a criminal investigation at the nursing home in Broward County, which is north of Miami.
Some residents were evacuated on early Sunday morning and some woke up feeling sick at the center, which had been without air conditioning, Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said.
France, Netherlands Evacuate Tourists from Caribbean
France and the Netherlands evacuated tourists from the Caribbean holiday islands hit by hurricane Irma in the face of criticism about how long it took for the operation to get underway.
Two military planes were due to land in Paris and Eindhoven in the southern Netherlands, with 278 and 100 people onboard respectively, authorities in both countries said.
Irma Moves North
Downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, Irma flooded several northern Florida cities with heavy rain and a high storm surge on Monday as it headed out of the state after cutting power to millions and ripping roofs off homes.
Irma, once ranked as one of the most powerful hurricanes recorded in the Atlantic, hit a wide swath of Florida over the past day, first making landfall on the Florida Keys archipelago and then coming ashore south of Naples before heading up the west coast.
Now a tropical storm with sustained winds of up to 110 km per hour, the National Hurricane Center said.
10 Dead in Cuba
At least 10 people were killed in Cuba by Hurricane Irma, most of them crushed by collapsing buildings, authorities said on Monday, bringing the death toll from the ferocious storm to 38 in the Caribbean.
Seven of the dead were in the province of Havana, while fatalities also were reported in Matanzas, home to the tourist resort of Varadero, and the regions of Ciego de Avila and Camaguey farther east, according to a statement from civil defense authorities.