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Hurricane Irma leaves Florida ‘powerless’, moves north

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Washington, Sep 11 (IANS) Hurricane Irma on Monday weakened to a Category 1 storm with top sustained winds of 120km/h battering Florida with continued hurricane-force winds, torrential rain and dangerous storm surges, leaving nearly six million without power.

According to media reports, there were at least five storm-related deaths. The storm headed north on Monday towards Gainesville and Tallahassee, taking dangerous wind gusts with it, ABC News reported.

As of 6 a.m., over 5.7 million customers were without power in Florida — that’s roughly 58 per cent of all customers in the state. There were 166,598 customers without power across the state of Georgia, according to Georgia Power.

Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys on Sunday morning as a Category 4 hurricane with 225km/h winds, the strongest tropical storm to hit Florida since 2004.

A storm surge of 10 feet was recorded in the Keys and a record storm surge was reported in Jacksonville that exceeded the previous high set by Hurricane Dora in 1964.

Irma moved north into Florida on Sunday with powerful wind, rain and flooding, swamping parts of Naples and Miami on opposite coasts before moving to the centre of the state. Naples was struck with 228km/h winds, nearly 12 inches of rain and had a 7-foot storm surge.

Miami saw winds up to 159km/h. The National Hurricane Centre said it expected the storm’s centre to remain inland over Florida and then move into Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee where heavy rain and possible flash floods will be a major concern.

The NHC said the storm “is still life-threatening with dangerous storm surge, wind and heavy rains”.

At least five people died of storm-related injuries in Florida as the massive hurricane barreled across the Sunshine State. Two people were killed in Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys.

One person was found dead in a home in Shark Key. Another man was killed after he lost control of a truck that carried a generator as winds whipped at tropical-storm strength, officials said.

Two other people died from a two-car crash in the rain in Hardee County, which is about 96 kilometre inland from Sarasota, officials said.

The fifth fatality was reported in Orange County, which is near Orlando, after a car crash that was deemed related to the hurricane. At least 27 people died from Irma in the Caribbean, reports said.

Millions of Floridians were under evacuation orders as Irma neared. President Donald Trump approved a “major disaster” declaration in Florida on Sunday, authorising “federal funding to flow directly to Floridians impacted by Hurricane Irma”.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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