A HOLIDAYMAKER in Florida has been documenting her experience as Hurricane Irma laid waste to parts of the United States.

Thirty-year old Cathy Woodhouse and her 12-year old daughter Rebecca have been confined to their hotel for two days after the hurricane struck the area on Sunday.

Relief operations are under way after the category four hurricane battered the state, causing flash floods and leaving six million homes without power.

Miss Woodhouse, of Dunoon Drive, Blackburn, said: “It was very very windy, I tried to stay awake through it but fell asleep at around midnight.

“When I woke up at 2am I saw the tail end of it and the power had gone down.

“The bottom floor of the hotel had completely flooded, but the worst of the storm had passed.

“There’s a curfew in place until 6pm on Monday, but it might be lifted earlier as it’s just a clean-up in progress now.

Miss Woodhouse’s mother, Pauline, said: “Cathy has been playing it down but it’s impossible not to worry.

“It’s my daughter and my grand-daughter after all.

“I’ve seen the damage and it looks terrible, but they are in a sturdy hotel.”

Miss Woodhouse said: “It put a dampener on things for sure because we missed out on a day in the parks.

“But we will be able to come home and say we survived a serious hurricane.

“From what I can see from the hotel there isn’t much damage, just a few blown-over trees and a few cables down.

“It seems to be more flooding than damage, but because of the flood defences they have here it has pretty much cleared up already.

She has been making the most of the unique situation and documenting the hurricane via her video blog.

“Everyone has been really calm and relaxed. Some people slept right through it, other were wandering round the hotel filming it.”

“We all agreed, it was an experience.”