hurricane

Military personnel from the Koninklijke Marechaussee joined local Bahamanian authorities in search and rescue missions this week, the Dutch Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. Hundreds of people were still reported missing in the Bahamas weeks after Hurricane Dorian first made landfall there at Category 5 strength on Sept. 1.

“A lot of work has to be done to get this island going again,” said Wiebo, a 40-year-old Sergeant Major in the Marechaussee.

Nearly seven months after hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on Sint Maarten, the first financial aid from the Netherlands is heading towards the island. 110 million euros for reconstruction will be released, State Secretary Raymond Knops of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations announced on Wednesday. The money comes from an aid fund of 550 million euros, which will be managed by the World Bank, NOS reports.

Dutch marines delivered emergency supplies to the Caribbean country of Dominica, which was recently hit by devastating Hurricane Maria. The emergency supplies, which were delivered by land and sea, are "desperately needed", the Royal Marines said on Twitter.

The Ministry of Defense sent naval ship Zr. Ms. Zeeland to Dominica, the same ship that provided emergency relief to Sint Maarten after Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Maria killed at least 15 people on Dominica and destroyed numerous homes and schools, according to RTL Nieuws.

Saba and Sint Eustatius are anxiously awaiting Hurricane Maria, which is set to pass close by the islands in the course of the morning or early in the afternoon. Hurricane Maria increased in strength and is now considered a category 5 hurricane, the strongest category, with wind speeds up to 260 kilometers per hour, BNR reports.

Sint Maarten can count on a financial contribution from the Netherlands to help it recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday evening, according to Metro Nieuws. He did not mention any amounts.

There is no doubt that the Sint Maarten - an autonomous country that forms part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands - desperately needs help. According to the Red Cross, 91 percent of the homes on the island were damaged or destroyed.

King Willem-Alexander and Minister Ronald Plasterk of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations arrived on Sint Maarten on Monday afternoon, local time. They landed on a battered Princess Juliana International Airport, where they were immediately faced with the devastation Hurricane Irma left in its wake. Back in the mainland Netherlands, a more hopeful scene unfolded at Eindhoven Airport, as the first 100 or so evacuees from the hurricane hit island were reunited with family members.

King Willem-Alexander will visit Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba on Monday to see the aftermath of Hurricane Irma with his own eyes, Minister Ronald Plasterk of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations said on Curacao on Sunday afternoon, ANP reports.

Plasterk spoke with the press after visiting patients at the Sint Elisabeth Hospital, who were flown to Curacao after the hurricane to get medical treatment. Before that he and the King visited the meteorological service in Curacao and the Parera naval center. 

At least 2,400 Dutch travelers are currently in the areas that will soon face the wrath of Hurricane Irma, according to travel agency TUI, NU.nl reports.

Around 1,600 Dutch are on Cuba and the Dominican Republic. They booked trips through TUI subsidiary Kras. The other 800 are in the American state of Florida.

TUI also has four travelers on Sint Maarten, where Hurricane Irma hit on Wednesday, leaving devastation in its wake. TUI managed to make contact with all four Dutch and they are doing well.

The Red Cross started raising funds to support the victims of Hurricane Irma, which caused massive amounts of damage on the islands of Sint Maarten, Sint Estatius and Saba on Wednesday. Donations to Giro 5125 can be made from the Red Cross website.

Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba are preparing for Hurricane Irma, which is expected to hit the islands on Tuesday night or during the early hours of Wednesday morning. The storm is increasing in strength and is now considered a hurricane of the fourth category, RTL Nieuws reports.

Dr Erwann Michel-Kerjan and co-authors, winners of this year's Science of Risk: Climate Change category, proposed four flood resilience strategies to protect coastal megacities from the likes of Superstorm Sandy. Their strategies included the levee systems designed for the Netherlands by Dutch engineers in early 1950's.