Monroe County government employees say 675 residential and commercial structures were destroyed by Hurricane Irma in Monroe County, while thousands of others were damaged, according to the Miami Herald.
Assessments were done by looking at the exteriors, the Herald reported. Inspectors did not enter the buildings.
A majority of the destroyed properties are in Big Pine Key, according to the Herald. Houses were also crushed on Big Coppitt Key, Geiger Key, Little Torch Key, Lower Sugarloaf Key, Ramrod Key, Stock Island, Rockland Key, Sugarloaf Key, Summerland Key and Scout Key, according to the Herald. Twenty-three houses were destroyed in Key Largo and 10 on Conch Key.
The report, completed by government officials, showed 583 structures experienced “major” damage and 2,739 sustained “minor” damage, according to the Herald. Overall, 10,009 houses were impacted by Hurricane Irma. About 3,880 were not affected.
Shortly after the hurricane made landfall, FEMA reported about 25 percent of homes in the Florida Keys were destroyed.
The Category 4 hurricane left the low-lying islands of Monroe County devastated, with streets covered in debris and some live wires, not to mention the storm surge and fallen trees. [Miami Herald] – Amanda Rabines