Fox News is reporting on motzei Shabbos Israel time that cleanup efforts continue following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. 900,000 homes have been damaged in the storm, with many left uninhabitable. Over 1 million vehicles were destroyed by the storm.

Parts of southeast Texas are still in recovery mode two weeks later following the category 4 level storm. Most homeowners were not prepared for the sheer volume of water, leaving homes soaked with water, including the walls and insulation. The recovery process is going to be a long one that will continue for some time.

Hurricane Irma
According to a NY Times report, over 6.3 million Floridians were instructed to evacuate their home in Florida, however many of them have decided to ride out the storm. Irma has fortunately dropped down to a level 3 storm, with 25 MPH winds and 155 MPH gusts. The storm is 150 miles southeast of Key West Florida as it has shifted west and while the storm has diminished significantly from the level 5 it began, there are still real reasons for concern and government and law-enforcement agencies have not lifted any of the emergency regulations in place. Surges from the storm however still present significant threat to 3 million people in Irma’s path.

The storm left a trail of destruction on Shabbos across the Caribbean, leading to what is being called one of the largest evacuations in American history. On Shabbos morning, the death toll was at least 25.

For the fifth time in its history, Disney World is shutting down at 7:00PM Saturday night until Tuesday, but resort hotels will remain open. Sea World is also shutting down and at present, there are thousands stranded in airports throughout the state of Florida, many now realizing they will be stuck for the coming days.

President Trump and his cabinet will be convening on Saturday and they will receive a comprehensive report on Irma.

Tropical storm conditions to hit Miami by Saturday afternoon and then increase. In Tampa, the winds are over 100MPH and gusts are over 90 MPH. Emergency agencies continue monitoring and preparing for the storm as the coming days may still bring significant destruction to areas of the State of Florida.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Published on motzei Shabbos in Jerusalem)