World-famous airport where planes fly over beach-goers’ heads as they land is flattened by 185mph winds of Hurricane Irma as St Maarten is decimated by the deadly storm
Hurricane Irma ripped through Princess Juliana International Airport Wednesday
The storm’s wind and rain caused floods and destroyed structures at the airport
The airport is located in St Maarten, on the Dutch side of Saint Martin island
When landing at the airport, planes fly directly over beach goers at Maho Beach
Two people so far have been reported dead in St Martin as a result of the storm
ABIGAIL MILLER
DAILYMAIL.COM
6 September 2017
St Maarten’s famous international airport, Princess Juliana, has been destroyed by Hurricane Irma.
The storm ripped through the airport on Wednesday, with 185mph winds blowing over safety fences and battering nearby Maho beach.
Huge rocks smashed into planes, and boarding walkways were slammed to the ground by the downpour of rain and gusts of wind, which also brought mounds of sand on to the runway.
The storm, which has been dubbed one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a decade, has reportedly killed at least two people on St Martin so far.
Inside the airport, which lies on the Dutch side of Saint Martin island, the check-in lounge was flooded and walkways were damaged by the storm.
Parts of the building broke off during the storm and were seen lying on the runway after the storm passed.
Photos of the damage were documented by a hurricane rescue team, who went in after the storm passed.
