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| Irma Live Updates: ‘A Lot of Work’ to Be Done as Southeast U.S. Shifts to Recovery | Irma Live Updates: ‘A Lot of Work’ to Be Done as Southeast U.S. Shifts to Recovery |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Across much of the Southeast United States on Tuesday, stressed and exhausted families were assessing damage from Irma, or just beginning the arduous journey home, often grappling with gasoline shortages, sweltering heat and spotty telecommunication services. | Across much of the Southeast United States on Tuesday, stressed and exhausted families were assessing damage from Irma, or just beginning the arduous journey home, often grappling with gasoline shortages, sweltering heat and spotty telecommunication services. |
| Now a post-tropical cyclone, Irma continued to weaken as it moved toward the Tennessee Valley. Some of the worst damage it wrought was focused in the Florida Keys, where the storm had torn at nearly every home, and in Jacksonville, where the extent of flooding “shocked” residents and officials alike, Gov. Rick Scott said. “So many areas that you would never have thought have flooded, have flooded,” he said. | Now a post-tropical cyclone, Irma continued to weaken as it moved toward the Tennessee Valley. Some of the worst damage it wrought was focused in the Florida Keys, where the storm had torn at nearly every home, and in Jacksonville, where the extent of flooding “shocked” residents and officials alike, Gov. Rick Scott said. “So many areas that you would never have thought have flooded, have flooded,” he said. |
| President Trump will visit Florida on Thursday, the White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Tuesday. | President Trump will visit Florida on Thursday, the White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Tuesday. |
| An estimated 25 percent of homes in the Keys were destroyed when Irma hit there as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday, while another 65 percent suffered “major damage,” Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said at a news conference. | An estimated 25 percent of homes in the Keys were destroyed when Irma hit there as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday, while another 65 percent suffered “major damage,” Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said at a news conference. |
| Officials in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina sought to prepare residents for the hardships of recovery. More than 5.2 million Florida homes and businesses remained without power, according to state officials. | Officials in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina sought to prepare residents for the hardships of recovery. More than 5.2 million Florida homes and businesses remained without power, according to state officials. |
| Nursing homes and assisted-living facilities faced challenges in providing basic care to the region’s seniors, as staff members relied on generators to power medical equipment. And residents began anticipating the challenges of the weeks and months to come, including water damage, mold and school closings. | Nursing homes and assisted-living facilities faced challenges in providing basic care to the region’s seniors, as staff members relied on generators to power medical equipment. And residents began anticipating the challenges of the weeks and months to come, including water damage, mold and school closings. |
| Here’s the latest: | Here’s the latest: |
| • At least 48 people have died as a result of the storm, including at least 13 in the continental United States, according to The Associated Press. | • At least 48 people have died as a result of the storm, including at least 13 in the continental United States, according to The Associated Press. |
| • South Carolina officials said that while infrastructure damage had been much less severe than expected, there was the potential for minor flooding in Charleston and Hilton Head on Tuesday and throughout the week. | • South Carolina officials said that while infrastructure damage had been much less severe than expected, there was the potential for minor flooding in Charleston and Hilton Head on Tuesday and throughout the week. |
| • President Emmanuel Macron of France arrived in the Caribbean on Tuesday to assess the damage to French territories battered by Hurricane Irma last week. | • President Emmanuel Macron of France arrived in the Caribbean on Tuesday to assess the damage to French territories battered by Hurricane Irma last week. |
| • About 94,000 people remain in Florida shelters, according to state officials. Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami lifted curfews on Tuesday, local officials said. | • About 94,000 people remain in Florida shelters, according to state officials. Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami lifted curfews on Tuesday, local officials said. |
| • The authorities are assessing the full extent of the damage and have hesitated to estimate the cost of a cleanup. Check out our most powerful photographs. | • The authorities are assessing the full extent of the damage and have hesitated to estimate the cost of a cleanup. Check out our most powerful photographs. |
| • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for hurricane news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. | • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for hurricane news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. |
| Governor Scott said Tuesday that 30,000 people were working to resolve one of the state’s most urgent issues: turning the power back on. | Governor Scott said Tuesday that 30,000 people were working to resolve one of the state’s most urgent issues: turning the power back on. |
| The utility company Florida Power and Light said most customers on the east coast of the state would see their power restored by Sunday night, while those on the west coast might have to wait until Sept. 22. | |
| The state had shifted to recovery and rebuilding efforts on Tuesday, Mr. Scott said, and the authorities were also working to get water and food to those who needed it and to restore access to fuel. | |
| Repairs were needed on the electricity grid and sewage systems there, and bridges were being inspected for safety, he added. | Repairs were needed on the electricity grid and sewage systems there, and bridges were being inspected for safety, he added. |
| “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but everybody’s going to come together,” Mr. Scott said. “We’re going to get this state rebuilt.” | “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but everybody’s going to come together,” Mr. Scott said. “We’re going to get this state rebuilt.” |
| Adalberto Fernandez, a retired mechanic who lives in Long Key, stayed through the storm, saying that he figured his house was good and sturdy. Water did start seeping into his property, but the damage was not as bad as it could have been. | Adalberto Fernandez, a retired mechanic who lives in Long Key, stayed through the storm, saying that he figured his house was good and sturdy. Water did start seeping into his property, but the damage was not as bad as it could have been. |
| “Nothing happened,” Mr. Fernandez, 67, insisted. | “Nothing happened,” Mr. Fernandez, 67, insisted. |
| “I’m only going to die once,” he said. “If I don’t stay, who is going to turn on the generators and plug in the refrigerator? I would have come back and found everything lost.” | “I’m only going to die once,” he said. “If I don’t stay, who is going to turn on the generators and plug in the refrigerator? I would have come back and found everything lost.” |
| Barbara Roman, 41, who lives near Marathon, said she did not leave because after 25 years in the Keys, she had grown tired of false alarms. | Barbara Roman, 41, who lives near Marathon, said she did not leave because after 25 years in the Keys, she had grown tired of false alarms. |
| “I have been here for three storms, and its threats, threats, threats,” she said. Then, thinking it over, she added, “I stayed because I was being hard-headed.” | “I have been here for three storms, and its threats, threats, threats,” she said. Then, thinking it over, she added, “I stayed because I was being hard-headed.” |
| The contents of her mobile home were ruined, and she will probably have to move north for work, because she makes a living cleaning vacation rentals — a business that will probably dry up. | The contents of her mobile home were ruined, and she will probably have to move north for work, because she makes a living cleaning vacation rentals — a business that will probably dry up. |
| She had a chance to shower at a neighbor’s boathouse, but was shaken up about the ordeal. “I regret not leaving,” she said. | She had a chance to shower at a neighbor’s boathouse, but was shaken up about the ordeal. “I regret not leaving,” she said. |
| Mayor Lenny Curry of Jacksonville lifted the city’s mandatory evacuation orders on Tuesday, but warned that “there are still road blockages, there is still serious flooding, so there is a possibility you may not be able to get back to your home.” | Mayor Lenny Curry of Jacksonville lifted the city’s mandatory evacuation orders on Tuesday, but warned that “there are still road blockages, there is still serious flooding, so there is a possibility you may not be able to get back to your home.” |
| “But you’re welcome to come back,” he said at a Tuesday morning news conference. “Check your home out and see what’s going on here.” | “But you’re welcome to come back,” he said at a Tuesday morning news conference. “Check your home out and see what’s going on here.” |
| The city suffered a “trifecta” of water-related threats — storm surge, heavy rainfall over the weekend and Monday’s rising tides — city officials had said. | The city suffered a “trifecta” of water-related threats — storm surge, heavy rainfall over the weekend and Monday’s rising tides — city officials had said. |
| Monday was “rescue day,” he said, noting that the authorities there had rescued 356 people. “Today begins the cleaning and the rebuilding process,” he added. | Monday was “rescue day,” he said, noting that the authorities there had rescued 356 people. “Today begins the cleaning and the rebuilding process,” he added. |
| Jacksonville would begin distributing water on Tuesday morning, reopen city offices on Wednesday and begin collecting storm debris next Monday. “I will push my entire team aggressively to get this city back to normal as fast as possible,” Mr. Curry said. | Jacksonville would begin distributing water on Tuesday morning, reopen city offices on Wednesday and begin collecting storm debris next Monday. “I will push my entire team aggressively to get this city back to normal as fast as possible,” Mr. Curry said. |
| “This is a different kind of natural disaster,” Gov. Nathan Deal of Georgia said on Tuesday. ”We have not had one like this in the state of Georgia for a very long time.” | “This is a different kind of natural disaster,” Gov. Nathan Deal of Georgia said on Tuesday. ”We have not had one like this in the state of Georgia for a very long time.” |
| “This is one where the entire state of Georgia has been affected by this hurricane-slash-tropical storm, and as a result of that, recovery is going to be a little more slow.” | “This is one where the entire state of Georgia has been affected by this hurricane-slash-tropical storm, and as a result of that, recovery is going to be a little more slow.” |
| The state lifted an evacuation order that had been in effect for coastal areas east of Interstate 95 after inspections confirmed the bridges there were safe to cross. | The state lifted an evacuation order that had been in effect for coastal areas east of Interstate 95 after inspections confirmed the bridges there were safe to cross. |
| Homer Bryson, the director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, said that fuel shortages were being reported throughout the state. | Homer Bryson, the director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, said that fuel shortages were being reported throughout the state. |
| Officials with the state’s two largest electric utilities reported that at least 1.2 million customers were without power on Tuesday. | Officials with the state’s two largest electric utilities reported that at least 1.2 million customers were without power on Tuesday. |
| “This has been a path of destruction, not only through Florida but also all of Georgia,” said Paul Bowers, the president and chief executive of Georgia Power. | “This has been a path of destruction, not only through Florida but also all of Georgia,” said Paul Bowers, the president and chief executive of Georgia Power. |
| Mayor Tomás Regalado of Miami shared an account of an extraordinary rescue. | Mayor Tomás Regalado of Miami shared an account of an extraordinary rescue. |
| As the storm hit the city, 911 operators received a call requesting help for a woman who had had a stroke in the Flagami neighborhood, on the city’s west side, Mr. Regalado said at a news conference on Tuesday. But with winds exceeding 45 miles per hour, the emergency response teams were prohibited from going out. | As the storm hit the city, 911 operators received a call requesting help for a woman who had had a stroke in the Flagami neighborhood, on the city’s west side, Mr. Regalado said at a news conference on Tuesday. But with winds exceeding 45 miles per hour, the emergency response teams were prohibited from going out. |
| “A decision was made by fire and police to use an armored car of the SWAT team to pick up the firefighters at the station; pick up the lady at the house, in the middle of the storm; and take the lady to the hospital,” Mr. Regalado said. “So SWAT was used to save the life of a City of Miami resident.” | “A decision was made by fire and police to use an armored car of the SWAT team to pick up the firefighters at the station; pick up the lady at the house, in the middle of the storm; and take the lady to the hospital,” Mr. Regalado said. “So SWAT was used to save the life of a City of Miami resident.” |
| “I think it’s important that one life mattered,” he added, saying that such a rescue had never been executed before. | “I think it’s important that one life mattered,” he added, saying that such a rescue had never been executed before. |
| The Miami region was shifting toward recovery, with some trash pickups and flights out of Miami International Airport resuming and public transit expected to come back online throughout the week. | The Miami region was shifting toward recovery, with some trash pickups and flights out of Miami International Airport resuming and public transit expected to come back online throughout the week. |
| Local tap water was safe to drink, Mayor Carlos Gimenez of Miami-Dade County said. But with temperatures in the mid-80s and little air conditioning to speak of, Mr. Gimenez warned residents against the temptation of ocean swimming, saying it would take several more days to assess the safety of local waters. | Local tap water was safe to drink, Mayor Carlos Gimenez of Miami-Dade County said. But with temperatures in the mid-80s and little air conditioning to speak of, Mr. Gimenez warned residents against the temptation of ocean swimming, saying it would take several more days to assess the safety of local waters. |
| In Charleston and the surrounding coastal communities, residents were taking stock of a storm and flooding that exceeded local expectations. Irma’s effects coincided with high tide there, causing some of the worst flooding since Hurricane Hugo, which devastated the area in 1989. | In Charleston and the surrounding coastal communities, residents were taking stock of a storm and flooding that exceeded local expectations. Irma’s effects coincided with high tide there, causing some of the worst flooding since Hurricane Hugo, which devastated the area in 1989. |
| Still, “things are a lot better today than yesterday,” Mayor John Tecklenburg said. “I expect us to be fully back in business tomorrow. There’s a certain level of control you can have, but at some point you’ve got to realize, water is a powerful force. That means tough decisions on how high you build, how strong you build and where you can build.” | Still, “things are a lot better today than yesterday,” Mayor John Tecklenburg said. “I expect us to be fully back in business tomorrow. There’s a certain level of control you can have, but at some point you’ve got to realize, water is a powerful force. That means tough decisions on how high you build, how strong you build and where you can build.” |
| Teresa Jones, 63, an artist, described the shock she had felt as she had looked over Charleston Harbor and watched the ocean encircle her home and much of the city’s lower peninsula, an area that remained largely flooded into Tuesday. Ms. Jones’s home escaped major flooding by a few inches. “I didn’t think it was going to be this bad,” she said. “I’ve never seen the water so high.” | Teresa Jones, 63, an artist, described the shock she had felt as she had looked over Charleston Harbor and watched the ocean encircle her home and much of the city’s lower peninsula, an area that remained largely flooded into Tuesday. Ms. Jones’s home escaped major flooding by a few inches. “I didn’t think it was going to be this bad,” she said. “I’ve never seen the water so high.” |
| South of downtown near Folly Beach, Walter McAdory, 68, a retired Naval planner and clam farmer, burned a pile of debris and surveyed a destroyed dock and fishing shack he built after Hurricane Hugo, in 1989. As the worst of Irma struck, the several miles of tidal marsh between his home and nearby Morris Island were submerged beneath the biggest waves Mr. McAdory had ever seen there. “I was very surprised,” he said. “This was definitely the worst since Hugo.” | South of downtown near Folly Beach, Walter McAdory, 68, a retired Naval planner and clam farmer, burned a pile of debris and surveyed a destroyed dock and fishing shack he built after Hurricane Hugo, in 1989. As the worst of Irma struck, the several miles of tidal marsh between his home and nearby Morris Island were submerged beneath the biggest waves Mr. McAdory had ever seen there. “I was very surprised,” he said. “This was definitely the worst since Hugo.” |
| St. Martin and St. Barthélemy, known for idyllic beaches that have long been a draw for tourists, were left devastated after Irma tore across the islands. Roofs were torn from homes, and power and water were knocked out on both islands. At least a dozen were killed as a result of the storm, according to The Associated Press. | St. Martin and St. Barthélemy, known for idyllic beaches that have long been a draw for tourists, were left devastated after Irma tore across the islands. Roofs were torn from homes, and power and water were knocked out on both islands. At least a dozen were killed as a result of the storm, according to The Associated Press. |
| During a news briefing at the airport in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, President Macron promised government support to rebuild the devastated islands, which he planned to visit later in the day. | During a news briefing at the airport in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, President Macron promised government support to rebuild the devastated islands, which he planned to visit later in the day. |
| “I am here with three government ministers to express firstly the solidarity of the international community following what happened after Hurricane Irma and to say that all of France stands side by side with those who lost everything, some even lost their loved ones,” Mr. Macron said. French relief operations are being coordinated from Pointe-à-Pitre, which was spared the widespread destruction seen on other Caribbean islands. | “I am here with three government ministers to express firstly the solidarity of the international community following what happened after Hurricane Irma and to say that all of France stands side by side with those who lost everything, some even lost their loved ones,” Mr. Macron said. French relief operations are being coordinated from Pointe-à-Pitre, which was spared the widespread destruction seen on other Caribbean islands. |
| At least 1,900 members of the security forces have been deployed to St. Martin, where the rule of law disintegrated after the storm, as stranded residents struggled with food and water shortages. | At least 1,900 members of the security forces have been deployed to St. Martin, where the rule of law disintegrated after the storm, as stranded residents struggled with food and water shortages. |
| The military has since brought humanitarian aid by air, but the French Red Cross detailed how “major security problems” hampered the initial arrival of humanitarian aid to St. Martin. More aid workers were sent to the island on Tuesday, and a military ship was also expected to arrive on the island with additional supplies. | The military has since brought humanitarian aid by air, but the French Red Cross detailed how “major security problems” hampered the initial arrival of humanitarian aid to St. Martin. More aid workers were sent to the island on Tuesday, and a military ship was also expected to arrive on the island with additional supplies. |
| “St. Martin will be reborn. I am committed,” Mr. Macron wrote on Twitter on Tuesday morning, shortly after arriving on the island. The destruction on that island alone is estimated at $1.43 billion, according to French tourism officials. Much of the island is still without power. | “St. Martin will be reborn. I am committed,” Mr. Macron wrote on Twitter on Tuesday morning, shortly after arriving on the island. The destruction on that island alone is estimated at $1.43 billion, according to French tourism officials. Much of the island is still without power. |
| The government of the Netherlands was simultaneously working to distribute aid and provide shelter on the Dutch side of St. Martin, according to a statement released on Tuesday. | The government of the Netherlands was simultaneously working to distribute aid and provide shelter on the Dutch side of St. Martin, according to a statement released on Tuesday. |