Irma

On September 8, Hurricane Irma made landfall on Cuba as a destructive storm, slowly spinning along its northern coast for hours, before turning north toward Florida. The high winds tore roofs from buildings, uprooted trees, toppled power lines, and blocked roads across central and northern Cuba. Coastal towns and cities were swamped by storm surge waters, leaving parts of Havana submerged as Irma moved on. More than a million residents and tourists had been evacuated ahead of the storm, as a precaution.

Perhaps it may sound inappropriate to talk about Beauty in a similar event, yet what these photos show is a different way of dealing with a storm. Something that inspires not only commotion, but also a lot of hope. A real lesson of dignity and self-sacrifice.

Photos by
Yamil Lage / AFP/Getty Images
Ramon Espinosa / AP
Alejandro Ernesto / EPA-EFE
Reuters
Desmond Boylan / AP