TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Compiled damage report

Somewhere I have read that he is ok. I have not heard a thing about the business.

Anyone know how Alain Arnell or Myra are? Also Carol and Eric with Irma on her way be safe!

A friend was in contact with them and posted this earlier today. I believe it is true. Apparently it sunk.

No, I have not heard about Carter.

Lesley reported that he and his family are fine. Some damage to his home and lots of cars damaged.

Does anyone have info or pictures of the OBBR or the Lighthouse tower? All I have seen is the official statement from the management.

Carol - Thank you so much for taking the time to put this report together. I'm heartbroken about our friends who own Karakter and owners of Passat. Such a horrible loss of their properties.
Again thank you so very much.

Noooo!!!! Were Mirian & Pieter onboard, or did they go to the apartment in Simpson Bay? Dog?

Oh my goodness.... this just gets worse and worse.

Lesley and hs family are OK but much of where they live is flooded. Some of their cars were destroyed but their house is OK. This comes from their daughter in Toronto.

They both ended up in a hotel , but I don't know about the dog.

Carol, that's what I said. I heard it was gone but it wasn't. Crazy stories. Some not true. I was agreeing with you.
Spoke on phone to B today. Obviously there is nothing to add. Totally horrible.

Just heard from a friend in contact with Donna and Pascal, Piazza Pascal. They are safe in France with no news yet about their house or restaurant.

In my search for aerial photos of Orient Beach, I've seen only one good aerial photo, but it is of orient village only. It has been posted on several sites. Does anyone know if there are more aerial orient bay pix anywhere? I'd like to see if the roofs are intact on a few villas including mine. Also, is the power back on the French side yet? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Any news on Esmeralda in Orient Beach area? The merchants on Front Street, Philipsburg, especially Little Europe, owners Hiro & Naenna Alwani? The board walk?

Any pics of Royal Palm Beach Club damage? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Yes, much thanks for posting all of this info. Any reports/links available about damage to Orient Village and the surrounding area? There was a mention in a TripAdvisor forum that there were images from Getty that included the Village and at least part of the Alamanda resort. They didn't post a link and I've been unable to find them. Perhaps some you more experienced web researchers can find them.

Thanx!

Here is a link to photos of SXM and neighboring islands.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/weather/85...ods-photographs

about el Zafiro..
Friend and family our beautiful island has been devastated by Hurricane Irma. And if there's one thing I know about us humans we fight, we fight until the end. We will be back stronger and wiser. This is NOT how this ends for us!

Sorry Carol. I thought I was writing to Rick and Grace.

I have a friend who lives in Pointe Blanche. If anyone has info on this area I would appreciate it.

Thanks for that. I was wondering about them. I am worried the restaurant news will not be good, not sure about their home. Any news on Le String?

For you on Facebook here are some pictures of Flamingo villa 3 (our building) and others of the surrounding area. Red Piano, Bon Appetite, Le Sola, La Vista etc.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...e=3&theater

See if photo 17 helps. Looks to be Orient Village in the upper left corner. If it is, looks like the Yellow Submarine, across from the Village entry, is gone completely.

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/09/photos-from-saint-martin-after-hurricane-irma/539103/

Does anyone know the location the pic in #8 is?

rpotter...i have no news on Le String itself...but do know that Severine, Lionel and the kids got back from vacation the day before the storm hit. Heard from Donna on facebook, that they are all safe...but their home is damaged badly.

Thank you Ed. They have had the WORST luck at Le String, my heart goes out to them. I have not seen any photos or heard any news on that stretch of beach, but I suspect it's not good...

Hi - We have heard from Jacob, the owner of Byblos, that Carter ok.

Thanks,

Cathy

yes...terrible luck the last few years. They are such fine hard working people. Irony was that they were off island for an extended vacation to Florida....went back just in time to be home with Irma visiting. Hoping that they can rebuild their lives.

Thank you, Carol. It is really just so shocking! I have seen lots of pictures and video of the Dutch military on the island helping. Are the French military also assisting?

I don't know. A woman yesterday on Laser 101 said she had seen NO gendarmes, except some barbequing in their front yard.

This is what the gendarms have been dealing with:
http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/sa...017-7245753.php

As far as the grilling? I would think they needed to cook food before it spoiled from lack of refrigeration.

Outrageous.

I am not referring to the local gendarmerie. The Dutch Marines came to assist. I was wondering if France sent their military.

Aren't they allowed to eat too. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Porkchop. The gendarms ARE military. And up to 400 more are on their way (numbers vary on outlet reporting).

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-updates...-htmlstory.html

To St Barts and St Martin:
More than 1,100 French emergency services — gendarmes, police, civil security, soldiers and health personnel — have been dispatched to the two islands, where an emergency electricity network has been set up to keep hospitals working.

Police forces have been kept busy trying to prevent the pillaging of shops and private properties. An overnight curfew was imposed between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. in anticipation of José, which is expected to pass north of the islands Saturday.

Great. That answers my question. They are on the way....

By 1300 today USAF Special Forces MC-130s had already evacuated over 170 US citizens out of PJIA to Puerto Rico... after sending in a Special Forces Air Traffic Control team and their equipment.

Go Air Force...!

I heard some of the homes in Pointe Blanche were destroyed. I can't provide any more detail. I had a phone conversation with someone on the island and her phone battery went dead during the conversation (no electricity to charge a phone). I'll try to post more info as it becomes available.

Picture 8 shows the Pelican Cove townhouse condo complex in Pelican Key. It is located at the far end of Billy Folly Road on the point of land separating Lay Bay and Cole Bay. We stayed there for 3 weeks in February 2015.

It is a fantastic place to stay. I was relieved to see that the buildings and roofs appear to have survived relatively intact. But I suspect there has been significant water damage from the storm surge and winds.

I wish all of those on St. Maarten/St Martin our prayers for a safe and speedy return to normality, but I suspect it will be many months or even years before that truly happens. We will miss being able to visit our favourite island for the next while.

Heard from Dany of Cupecoy Beach...he and his family are fine. He's been staying close to home, protecting his property. Apparently the reports we've been hearing about the lawlessness on the French side are unfortunately true.