Editing Saint Martin (island) (section)

===Hurricane Irma (2017)===
[[File: Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten (NL) 05.jpg|thumb|Extensive damage to buildings in [[Sint Maarten]] on 7 September 2017, hours after [[Hurricane Irma]] made landfall on the island]]

On 6 September 2017 the island was hit by [[Hurricane Irma]] ([[Saffir–Simpson scale#Category 5|Category 5]] at landfall), which caused widespread and significant damage, estimated at $3 billion, to buildings and infrastructure.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Meade |first1=Natalie |title=St. Maarten is still striving to recover from its worst hurricane in a century |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/st-maarten-is-still-striving-to-recover-from-its-worst-hurricane-in-a-century |date=2 March 2018 |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=26 April 2019 |archive-date=6 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906092423/https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/st-maarten-is-still-striving-to-recover-from-its-worst-hurricane-in-a-century |url-status=live }}</ref> A total of 11 deaths had been reported as of 9 July 2018.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/08/caribbean-islanders-fear-another-battering-after-irma-wreaks-havoc |title=Caribbean islanders fear another battering after Irma wreaks havoc |first=Caroline |last=Davies |date=8 September 2017 |website=The Guardian |access-date=8 September 2017 |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410040317/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/08/caribbean-islanders-fear-another-battering-after-irma-wreaks-havoc |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/destruction-caribbean-irma-florida.html |title=Caribbean Devastated as Irma Heads Toward Florida |first1=Frances |last1=Robles |first2=Kirk |last2=Semple |first3=Vivian |last3=Yee |date=7 September 2017 |work=The New York Times |access-date=8 September 2017 |archive-date=8 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908014430/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/destruction-caribbean-irma-florida.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180907-video-revisited-one-year-after-hurricane-irma-saint-martin-struggles-recover-france-netherl |title=Revisited – Video: One year after Hurricane Irma, St Martin struggles to recover |date=7 September 2018 |website=France 24 |access-date=6 June 2019 }}</ref> France's [[Minister of the Interior (France)|Minister of the Interior]], [[Gérard Collomb]], said on 8 September 2017 that most of the schools were destroyed on the French half of the island. In addition to damage caused by high winds, there were reports of serious flood damage to businesses in the village of [[Marigot, Saint Martin|Marigot]]. Looting was also a serious problem. Both France and the Netherlands sent aid as well as additional police and emergency personnel to the island.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-irma-weakens-category-storm-49698086 |title=ABC News |website=ABC News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913055232/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-irma-weakens-category-storm-49698086 |archive-date=13 September 2017 }}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that 95% of the structures on the French side and 75% of the structures on the Dutch side were damaged or destroyed.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170909223210/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/dutch-officials-irma-damaged-or-destroyed-70-percent-of-st-maarten-homes-leaving-island-vulnerable-to-joses-approach/2017/09/09/666eb640-957e-11e7-8482-8dc9a7af29f9_story.html "Dutch officials: Irma damaged or destroyed 70 percent of St. Maarten homes, leaving island vulnerable to Jose’s approach"], ''Washington Post'', 9 September 2017. Accessed 9 September 2017.</ref><ref>[http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/928557/hurricane-irma-destroys-95-of-french-part-of-st-martin-official "Hurricane Irma destroys ‘95%’ of French part of St. Martin—official"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411025016/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/928557/hurricane-irma-destroys-95-of-french-part-of-st-martin-official |date=11 April 2023 }}, ''Agence France-Presse'', 7 September 2017. Accessed 9 September 2017.</ref>

Some days after the storm had abated, a survey by the Dutch Red Cross estimated that nearly a third of the buildings in Sint Maarten had been destroyed and that over 90 per cent of structures on the island had been damaged.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/third-of-buildings-on-dutch-saint-martin-destroyed/ |title=Third of buildings on Dutch St. Martin destroyed |website=[[CBS News]] |date=12 September 2017 |access-date=12 September 2017 |archive-date=9 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009081357/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/third-of-buildings-on-dutch-saint-martin-destroyed/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Princess Juliana Airport]] was extensively damaged but reopened on a partial basis in two days to allow incoming relief flights and for flights that would take evacuees to other islands.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/st-martins-famous-airport-badly-damaged-hurricane-irma/story?id=49684005 |title=St. Martin's famous airport badly damaged by Hurricane Irma |date=7 September 2017 |website=ABC News |access-date=28 June 2020 |archive-date=17 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217202356/http://abcnews.go.com/International/st-martins-famous-airport-badly-damaged-hurricane-irma/story?id=49684005 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Saint Martin weatherbox}}