Hurricane Irma has destroyed the Princess Juliana International Airport as it barreled through St. Martin.
Photos of the airport, which is well-known for its low-flying aircraft skimming over Maho Beach, show its terminal severely damaged and at least one of its boarding bridges torn apart.
2 / #Vliegveld ‘Princess Juliana International Airport’ op #SintMaarten is ook platgewaaid door #orkaan #Irma – #Philipsburg #SXM #Maho pic.twitter.com/IvOZh8qjN0
— Bondtehond (@Bondtehond) September 6, 2017
And dramatic footage shows the storm’s 185 mph winds ripping through the airport:
For comparison, here’s video of the airport from 2015:
The runways are littered with twisted steel and pieces of the airport’s once-standing buildings.
The airport is a major hub for travelers to the region, and its destruction may hamper recovery efforts for St. Martin and nearby islands.
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