MAJOR CARIBBEAN STORM

Although still being mostly ignored by mainstream mainland media in the US a major disaster potentially much worse than Hurricane Andrew's path through Texas is about to strike the US. I am referring to Hurricane Irma.
As the NOAA maps published today show most of the US possessions in the Caribbean are about to be slammed by a category 5 hurricane with wind speeds over 170 MPH and associated storm surge and heavy rain.

It has admittedly been a decade since my last visit, but no building I saw was designed to withstand winds like that.

Based on the maps below, I anticipate many casualties in places such as Saint Thomas, Coral Bay and the island of Culebra. On the Puerto Rico mainland both Carolina and San Juan are being forecast to receive not just the storm surge, but also the full force of the hurricane winds.

San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín Airport (SJU) runways are normally only 1 foot above normal high tide. The storm surge of ocean water accompanying this storm may well exceed 14 feet. This will have profound implications for the delivery of any FEMA aid after the storm. Likewise, due to storm damage many of the ports on the island's North side will probably not be usable.

I do not anticipate any meaningful aid at all arriving in places like Saint Martins, Antigua, or Culebra for several weeks afterwards.

Although it has not yet fully developed a second storm Jose appears to be following a similar path only a few days behind Irma.