First Run News

MEXICO CITY — A powerful earthquake struck off the Pacific Coast of Mexico late Thursday, shaking buildings as far away as Mexico City and sending worried residents fleeing into the streets.

Cars were tossed in the air. Roofs were ripped off houses as families sheltered inside. And at least seven people were killed as Hurricane Irma battered the eastern Caribbean. Here is what the destruction looked like on some of the islands directly in the storm’s path. Almost all of the island of St.

MIAMI — Fuel was such a scarce commodity that some drivers took to trailing gas tankers down the road to see where they stopped to unload. Bottled water was so scarce that residents simply gave up looking. Sandbags, like plywood, were gone, as were certain kinds of screws and nails. “It takes a long time,” said Pablo Smith, 24, who sat scrolling on his phone as he waited in line at a Citgo station in South Florida. The line stretched down a long block of U.S.

For many families in South Florida and Georgia, evacuating for a hurricane has become somewhat of an ordinary routine. Dealing with last minute airfare, pet-friendly accommodations and overwhelming lines for gas is par for the course. But Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded barrels toward the mainland of the United States, has some residents evacuating more quickly than ever.

WASHINGTON — The last time a Category 5 hurricane ripped through Florida, it was so destructive that meteorologists retired its name forever.

Hurricane Irma made landfall this week in the Caribbean as one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded. Here is a guide to The New York Times’s coverage of the Category 5 storm as it sweeps toward Florida. For dispatches from journalists across the region, see our live briefing with up to the minute developments.

Hurricane Irma, an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm with sustained winds of up to 155 miles an hour, continued to tear through the Caribbean on Friday, moving through the National Hurricane Center said. The death toll from the storm was at least seven as of Thursday afternoon, but the authorities warned that the number could rise as emergency crews reached flooded areas and as communications improved.

SAN JUAN, P.R. — One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded crescendoed over the Caribbean on Thursday, crumpling islands better known as beach paradises into half-habitable emergency zones and sideswiping Puerto Rico before churning north. It is expected to hit the Florida Keys and South Florida by Saturday night. More than 60 percent of households in Puerto Rico were without power. On St. Martin, an official said 95 percent of the island was destroyed. The Haitian government called for all agencies, stores and banks to shut down as the storm hit.

Nonetheless, the commissioner released this statement in support of Bennett: “Michael Bennett represents the best of the NFL — a leader on his team and in his community. Our foremost concern is the welfare of Michael and his family. While we understand the Las Vegas police department will address this later this evening, the issues Michael has been raising deserve serious attention from all of our leaders in every community.

Nonetheless, the commissioner released this statement in support of Bennett: “Michael Bennett represents the best of the NFL — a leader on his team and in his community. Our foremost concern is the welfare of Michael and his family. While we understand the Las Vegas police department will address this later this evening, the issues Michael has been raising deserve serious attention from all of our leaders in every community.