The tiny British territorial islands took quite a beating as Hurricane Ike plowed across the territory with Category 4 strength and 135 mph winds. More from The Guardian:

“Thousands of tourists fled the archipelago before the near-direct hit and residents who stayed hunkered down ‘just holding on for life’, said Michael Misick, the chief minister. ‘They got hit really, really bad. A lot of people have lost their houses, and we will have to see what we can do to accommodate them.’


There were no immediate reports of casualties but the territory would need urgent aid, said Clive Evans, of the British Red Cross. ‘These islands have not seen storms like this for 48 years.’


The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the navy frigate HMS Iron Duke and support vessel Wave Ruler were on their way to the area to offer disaster relief. The ships had only recently finished offering support in the Cayman Islands, hit by Hurricane Gustav a week ago.”

Ike proceeded to Haiti on Sunday, killing at least 48 people and then marching toward Cuba, where it was feared Havana could take a direct hit from the storm.

Keep tabs on Ike at the National Weather Service.