These Stunning GIFs Show St. Martin's Miraculous Recovery From Hurricanes Irma And Maria

What a difference six months makes.
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Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria left a trail of destruction when they swept over the Caribbean last September.

Recovery has been slow in places like Puerto Rico, but it’s well on its way in St. Martin, an island that is controlled by France in the north and the Netherlands in the south.

These GIFs show what the island looked like right after the hurricane and how it looks now.

The transformation is miraculous.

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Six months after the passing of hurricanes Irma and Maria, St. Martin is slowly rebuilding, but the scars of the most powerful hurricane ever known in the West Indies remain clearly visible.
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This sailing boat ended up beached in the cemetery of Marigot near the Bay of Nettle on Sept. 9. Six months later, the wall remains broken.
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The Mercure hotel in Marigot was surrounded by water and debris on Sept. 6, after Hurricane Irma. The hotel has been reopened, though some rooms are still unavailable for guests as of Feb. 27.
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A street full of debris in Orient Bay on Sept. 7, after the passage of Hurricane Irma. It's now cleaner as of Feb. 27.
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An outside view of Mercure hotel in Marigot on the Bay of Nettle on St. Martin on Sept. 6, after Hurricane Irma, and again on Feb. 28.
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A pool surrounded by wrecked bungalows in Marigot on Sept. 10 and the same pool filled with sand on Feb. 28.
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Waters receded and debris was cleared around Mercure hotel after Hurricane Irma six months ago.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story included a photo from Martinique.

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