A week after Hurricane Irma struck a string of Caribbean islands, some residents find themselves in darkness, as power remains out, and they're increasingly worried as food and water supplies dwindle.
In the storm's aftermath, residents and tourists described a volatile situation with vexing challenges ahead that have forced people to fend for themselves.
"You listen to the radio. You call. But nobody comes," said Leroy Webb, a resident of St. Maarten, which is the Dutch part of the island. The French side of the island is St. Martin.
"I even don't know how long it will take before people here get food. This morning, my wife was making soup with just two potatoes in it. We have nothing to eat," he told CNN affiliate RTL Netherlands.
Along with feelings of abandonment, island residents spoke of widespread scarcity, the generosity of neighbors, looting and machete-armed volunteers standing guard over properties.
Hurricane Irma struck a patchwork of independent island nations and territories in various forms of association with France, the Netherlands, the US and the UK and killed at least 44 people in the Caribbean.