caribbean islands completely from the rest of the world for hours. >> our sister island is still under threat. we have lost all communications. >> one of the first government officials to establish contact called it. >> heart wrenching, absolutely devastating. i have never seen any such destruction. >> reporter: devastating and deadly. the category five hurricane claimed a life. >> we had one fatality. it could be worse. >> the prime minister expressing shock more lives weren't lost. in saint martin, even more deaths flooded cars and debris found all over the island. the airport known as a tourist attraction while beach goers watching planes land now being called unreachable by the dutch navy. the clean up is expected to cause hundreds of millions of dollars and all of this may not