Twenty-five percent of households in the Florida Keys were afraid of being destroyed, emergency workers rushed to find Hurricane Irma victims dead or alive and deliver food and water to the chain of affected islands.
As the crews worked to repair the solitary road connecting the keys, residents of some of the islands closest to the mainland of Florida were allowed to return and get their first glimpse into the devastation.
“It’s going to be quite difficult for those returning home,” said Petrona Hernandez, whose particular house on Plantation Key with 35-foot walls was unharmed, unlike others a few blocks away. “It’s going to be devastating for them.”
But due to the interruption of telephone service and other damages, the total extent of the destruction was still a question mark, more than two days after Irma roared toward the keys with 130 mph winds.
Elsewhere in Florida, life came close to normal, with some flights taking off again, many curfews raised and major theme parks reopening. The cruisers that extended their trips and rode the storm at sea began to return to the port with thousands of passengers.
The number of people without electricity in the hot summer heat fell to 9.5 million people less than half the population of Florida. Utility officials warned it could take 10 days or more for power to be completely restored. About 110,000 people remained in shelters in Florida.
