Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Says Islands Braced for Hurricane Irma

As the category 5 Hurricane Irma edged closer to the leeward islands, prime minister of Antigua and Barbados Gaston Browne issued a statement about preparations being made as the megastorm reaches the islands.

"By tomorrow evening we should have a clear report about the impact (of the hurricane)," Browne said. "

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We also have the military on standby from Venezuela for just in case if we need additional supplies. To make sure the recovery is quick requires the collective efforts of all entities in Barbados," the head of the state said in a statement. 

Hurricane Irma that was declared a category 5 storm earlier today is growing stronger as it threatens to slam the Carribean islands with "potentially catastrophic" force. 

Julian Heming, who works for Met Office and predicts tropical cyclones said the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, and Guadeloupe are first in the firing line.

Prime Minister Browne earlier told the AP he was confident Barbuda will be able to weather the storm as it was equipped with reinforced concrete and backup generator. 

“I am satisfied that at a governmental level that we have done everything that is humanly possible to mitigate against the effects or the potential effects of this storm,” Browne said. “What is really required now is for Antiguans and Barbudans ... to follow the warnings and to act appropriately so that we do not end up with any serious casualties or any fatalities.”

Antigua’s airport announced it would close and advised visitors and residents to protect themselves from the “onslaught” of the storm: “May God protect us all.”

Pointing out the intensity of the storm, meteorologist Eric Fisher tweeted,

"The eye of #Irma may pass directly over Barbuda and Anguilla in the next 12-24 hours. Catastrophic not hyperbole in this case."

Irma is moving west at 14 mph (22 km/h) and is expected to turn west-northwest tonight as it hits northern the Leeward Islands. 

In Antigua, which is home to some 80,000 people, residents flocked to stores to stock up on food and other utilities, while the fishermen used machines to lift their boats onto docks. 

"I hear it's a Cat 5 now and I'm terrified," Antigua resident Carol Joseph told Associated Press as she finished her last trip to the supermarket before seeking shelter. "I had to come back for more batteries because I don't know how long the current will be off."

The authorities on the islands have cut power and urged residents to stay indoors as they braced for the storm. 

The massive hurricane known to be one of the strongest storms in the Atlantic has recorded close to 300 km/h winds and torrential rain. 

Other islands in the path of the storm included the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Anguilla, a small, low-lying British island territory of about 15,000 people. 
U.S. President Donald Trump declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.