Powerful Hurricane Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, the<br/>rare Category Five hurricane churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico today on a potential collision course with south Florida where at-risk areas were evacuated. St Martin — a pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlife — suffered the full fury of the storm, with rescuers on the French side of the island saying at least eight people had died there and another 21 were injured. <br/><br/>With some 95 percent of homes destroyed on the French side of the island — the other half belongs to The Netherlands — a delegation of troops, rescuers and medics arrived from France headed by Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin to help with rescue efforts. Irma was packing maximum sustained winds of up 295 kilometers per hour as it followed a projected path that would see it hit the northern edges of the Dominican Republic and Haiti today, continuing past eastern Cuba before veering north towards Florida.