Central America in chaos. After the earthquake in Mexico, which caused at least 60 victims, what is now frightening is hurricane Irma, which crossed Cuba and is now heading towards Florida, in this phase also regaining strength and returning to category 5 after being downgraded to category 4. This was announced by the National Hurrucane Center.
Irma's death toll in the Caribbean is 20 people, between the Virgin Islands and the islands of St. Martin and St. Barts, which are French territory, as well as Anguilla, Barbuda and the Dutch part of St. Martin. The alert has now been extended to include northern Florida and not just the south where the alarm had hitherto concentrated, and also Georgia, according to the White House.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has ordered the closure of all schools, college campuses and government offices across the state in anticipation of Hurricane Irma expected this weekend. Nightmare traffic in the south of the state, where at least half a million people are fleeing: Irma which should hit the coast of Miami and the Keys archipelago over the weekend. Following the evacuation order for the entire area, roads and highways are currently clogged and open service stations are stormed before they can run out of fuel. In many areas, traffic is paralyzed for long stretches. In Cuba there are over 50 fleeing tourists.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the earthquake in Mexico has risen to 61: this was announced by President Enrique Pena Nieto, specifying that of the total number of people who died, 45 lost their lives in Oaxaca (of which 36 in the city of Juchitan), 12 in Chiapas and 4 in Tabasco. Three days of national mourning in honor of the victims of the earthquake were prepared for the country by the president of Mexico during a visit to Oaxaca, in which he reiterated his appeal to the population to "stay alert" for the eventuality of a new strong reply.
It was the "strongest and largest quake in the last hundred years," said Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. What is worrying at the moment are the "aftermaths" - of which there have been 65 so far - more than the tsunami warning, added the president speaking from the civil protection headquarters in the capital. “It was a very long earthquake, all of us here felt it,” he added.
