Hurricane Irma has destroyed buildings and caused major flooding on several French island territories in the Caribbean.
The four "most solid" buildings on Saint Martin, shared by France and the Netherlands, were destroyed, French Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said.
Power cuts there and on Saint Barthélemy disrupted communications.
The category five hurricane, the highest possible level, has sustained wind speeds reaching 295km/h (185mph).
The most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade first hit Antigua and Barbuda, before moving on to Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy (also known as St Barts).
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Its "extremely dangerous core" is forecast by the US National Hurricane Center to move over parts of the northern Virgin Islands on Wednesday, passing near or just north of Puerto Rico, then passing near or just north of the coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from at-risk areas across the Caribbean. Residents have flocked to shops for food, water, and emergency supplies, and airports have closed on several islands which are popular holiday destinations.
                   
In the US, Florida's Key West area has ordered a mandatory evacuation, with landfall expected at the weekend.
France's interior minister said three emergency teams were being sent to the islands, two from France and one from Guadeloupe.
French Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin said the hurricane had caused major flooding in low-lying areas, and coastlines were being "battered extremely violently" by the sea.
Some 40,000 people live in the French part of Saint Martin, with around the same number estimated to live on the Dutch side. About 9,000 people live on St Barts.
US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency for Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, mobilizing federal disaster relief efforts.
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