Story highlights Despite fears of a second hit, Hurricane Jose skirted north of Barbuda

Island was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma on Wednesday

(CNN) After being devastated by Hurricane Irma, the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda braced for its second major hurricane in four days as Hurricane Jose barreled toward its direction.

What was left of Barbuda was spared from the worst of Hurricane Jose, as the Category 4 storm skirted just north of the island on Saturday.

Hurricane #Jose will thankfully miss #Antigua and #Barbuda. Max sustained winds are at 145 MPH. Moving NW at 14 MPH. #GOES16 pic.twitter.com/8z1cDNRccA — NASA SPoRT (@NASA_SPoRT) September 9, 2017

The threat of another direct hit to Barbuda had been so dire that any of the 1,800 residents who hadn't already fled before Irma were evacuated by a flotilla of ferries sent Friday from Antigua, the other major island in the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.

There was relief as the hurricane warning for Barbuda was downgraded to a tropical storm warning on Saturday morning and later Saturday when that storm warning was discontinued.

Jose was passing north of a string of already storm-damaged Caribbean islands Saturday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said, whipping some of them with tropical storm-force winds and rain that could exacerbate flooding there.

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