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Irma's impact in the Virgin Islands: ‘I could sense my world was about to change'
Former Times publisher Charlotte Atkins rides out storm with new friends — and much gratitude
0917 IRMA 9 VIRGIN ISLANDS
The U.S. Virgin Islands flag flying against a sunset and a ravaged landscape left in wake of Hurricane Irma. Former Times Publisher and Gainesville resident Charlotte Atkins rode out the storm Sept. 6 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. (For The Times) - photo by Charlotte Atkins
It was both riveting and frightening to watch the Weather Channel experts talking about Hurricane Irma. You could tell they were mesmerized by such a perfect and powerful weather formation but also concerned about the catastrophic devastation that would come with the perhaps unprecedented force with which this storm would slam into the Caribbean Islands, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and maybe later the U.S. mainland.