Desperation is mounting on some Caribbean islands where the storm first made landfall on Wednesday. Read about how people there are handling severe food and water shortages. how This story describes how Puerto Ricans, who were spared the worst of the storm, have been helping their neighbors.

For hurricane-hardened Florida, Irma was different. Millions of people were ordered to evacuate, and hundreds of thousands scrambled into crowded shelters and onto jammed highways.

As it reached Florida, Times journalists and others in its path described what they saw, in this collection of dispatches. (You might also be interested in reading about how TV storm coverage has ignited a debate.)

The Daily Podcast spoke with two Miami residents, one who refused to evacuate and one who drove north, only to end up in Irma’s path. Listen here.

Amid the fear and destruction, there have been moments of uplifting heroism and levity. Read about them here.

The Times also chronicled efforts to rescue pets and other animals in this story, and explained here how insurers may have to turn to their own insurers to cover claims from the storm.

This weekend, President Trump and his cabinet were monitoring the storm from Camp David. Read what scientists are saying about the Trump administration and climate change. You may also be interested in learning about how Hurricane Irma become so huge and destructive, and how experts gathered data on the storm.

A bit of advice

If you must travel somewhere in the path of the storm, here’s what you should do.

The task of rebuilding after a disaster can be daunting. In Houston, many are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey.

Survivors of Hurricane Katrina also have advice for the long term.

And, again, if you want to help with donations, be careful to avoid scams.

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