A notable lover of the islands, Kenny Chesney has called on his fans for prayers as Hurricane Irma rolls through the Caribbean.
The country singer shared a photo of the wreckage left from Irma’s wrath on Instagram, an image which captured raging waters, leaning trees and destroyed homes on the beach.
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He then asked his No Shoes Nation fanbase to keep the islands and their residents in their thoughts as the Category 5 hurricane ravages the area and heads toward Florida.
“@noshoesnation, please pray for all my friends in the islands,” Chesney wrote, adding the hashtag #hurricaneirma.
The “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” singer’s Caribbean influences are clear in his music, but Chesney’s island lifestyle extends beyond his musical interests. He owns a home on St. John, the capital of Antigua, which was blasted by the storm on Wednesday. At least nine people have been confirmed dead from the storm’s hit, CNN reports.
The storm, which is reported to be the strongest hurricane to form in the Atlantic in over a decade, first hit the island of Barbuda on Wednesday. As it ripped through the land, it destroyed anywhere from 60-90 percent of homes and buildings. No contact from officials on the island was made with its sister island, Antigua, throughout Wednesday, heightening concern.
The country’s prime minister, Gaston Browne, flew to Barbuda via helicopter on Wednesday evening and reported that the island is now “practicably uninhabitable.” Browne told ABS TV that the island now has no water, electricity, food or communication systems.
He is also urging residents to evacuate to the islands of Antigua. Another hurricane, Jose, is set to follow Irma and people will have virtually “no choice” but to leave the island should this happen, Browne says.
