Hurricane Irma: Illinois Lawmaker Survives Ordeal 'Hunkered Down' In Bathroom

CHICAGO, IL — An Illinois state senator on vacation in the Caribbean during Hurricane Irma last week was "hunkered down" in the bathroom of the apartment she was staying at as devastating winds and rains raged outside. Calling it "the worst experience" of her life, Sen. Iris Martinez (D-20th District) told NBC 5 Chicago she was able to stay safe during her visit to St. Martin despite being stranded by the hurricane. She was airlifted off the island over the weekend and returned to Chicago on Monday, the report added.

The Albany Park neighborhood resident had originally tried to escape the French-Dutch island before the hurricane hit, but conditions made it impossible for her to leave by the time Irma rolled through Wednesday, the report stated. Instead, Martinez was forced to secure herself where she was staying until the storm had passed, the report added.

"The ordeal itself — that hour and a half when the pounding really started and I was locked in the bathroom, just holding onto the door because the wind's in the apartment, no matter you have the windows shut, you know?" she told NBC 5. "You have the patio doors closed. … The wind was just so fierce that at one point I thought that the front kitchen door would go through the bathroom door where I was up against with my friend." (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Bucktown and Chicago — or other neighborhoods. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

HURRICANE IRMA COVERAGE: Florida Keys Residents Allowed To Return; Millions In Florida And Georgia Still Without Power

Hurricane Irma has killed at least 34 people in the Caribbean region, according to CBS News. St. Martin was one of the hardest islands in the area, and about 70 percent of the beds at the main hospital were heavily damaged, the report stated. More than 100 people needing immediate medical attention were rescued from St. Martin, and a flight from the U.S. government was sent to help evacuate the island, the report added.

Once Irma had passed, Martinez worked to find cellphone reception in order to contact her family, who worked from the States to get the lawmaker home.

"We were in contact, I was up and down that road trying to get [a hold of ] people, to at least let them know what was going on with the situation," she told NBC 5. "But then it started getting pretty bad with the lack of water as every day passed."

More via NBC 5 Chicago

Illinois State Sen. Iris Martinez (Photo via State of Illinois)

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