PokerStars and Bill Perkins have been forced to cancel StreamBoat 2, and evacuate Jaime and Matt Staples after Hurricane Irma menacingly made it way to the British Virgin Islands.
Not since 2005, when Hurricane Wilma came crashing into the United States killing 87 people in its wake, and creating 29.4 billion dollars in carnage, has a hurricane set a windy foot on American soil, and now, we are about to have two in a matter of weeks.
Americans still hadn’t come to terms with the 60+ dead in the Houston area following the cataclysmic attack on the region by Hurricane Harvey, before Hurricane Irma began whipping up the warm deep waters of the Atlantic.
The Category 5 hurricane (one of only 32 since 1924), has ripped through the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Barbuda, and St Martin, killing at least ten people.
The British Virgin Islands is also in the way, and with it, PokerStars and Bill Perkins plans to launch StreamBoat 2. Perkins moored his yacht in the Virgin Islands, and most of the crew and participants were in town ready to begin the fun when they were forced to evacuate.
Here is a video of Perkins sending in his private jet to help rescue Jaime and Matt Staples.
The British Navy is sending aid to the region, and Prime Minister, Theresa May pledged to donate £32 million to help rebuild the British overseas territories affected by the disaster.
Hurricane Irma is one of only two storms that has recorded speeds more than 185 mph for a 24-hour period. Let’s hope this one doesn’t do as much damage as the last that killed 6,000 people in the Philippines (Typhoon Haiyan, 2013).
And reports remind us that hurricane season doesn’t end until Nov 30, and we haven’t even reached the peak season, yet.
The storm is currently heading towards mainland Florida, with all areas on high alert.
StreamBoat 2 will be shelved until sometime in 2018, leaving the six PokerStars online qualifiers in limbo until then, but I am sure, given the situation, they would prefer to remain on dry land.
