St. Thomas, Virgin Islands – The tourism paradise of the US Virgin Island turned into a disaster zone after Hurricane Irma swiped through the islands.
US Virgin Island Govenor Mapp provided an update on Hurricane Irma relief efforts.
“Hurricane Irma is a historic storm of incredible magnitude that has ravaged islands of the Caribbean including our Virgin Islands and the magnitude of this hurricane requires the full attention and support of the nation. People have lost their homes, vehicles, important personal possessions as well as businesses that can never be replaced. Many areas of our Virgin Islands have been decimated and are in great need of help”.
Kenneth E. Mapp is the 29th Governor of the United States Virgin Islands. He is a registered Republican but ran as an independent.
The US Virgin Island Tourism Board issued this statement
Dear Friends and Family:
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we weathered the passage of Hurricane Irma yesterday. Into the evening, we were still experiencing tropical storm wind conditions and the district of St. Thomas and St. John is still under a curfew – until at least 6 p.m. today.
As you can imagine, communications are limited and we have received preliminary reports of damage to our infrastructure in St. Thomas and St. John.
The district of St. Croix did not receive the full brunt of the storm. The St. Croix curfew has been lifted today between 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. Our teams will be conducting assessments as soon as they can.
To ensure everyone’s safety, our request to postpone scheduled visits to our islands remains in effect, and we urge you to continue to check with your travel agent, airline and accommodation providers regarding cancellation and rebooking policies.
We are receiving a number of requests about the well-being of guests who remained in the Territory.
Statement by Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett
Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett issued the following statement about the massive aid package she intends to push for to help Virgin Islanders recover from Hurricane Irma:
I am working feverishly to work on the efforts to bring emergency federal dollars to the Virgin Islands. I am grateful to Governor Mapp and his administration, especially VITEMA Director Mona Barnes, for the work thus far and the Governor’s request for the Expedited Major Disaster Declaration. In the next days I will be sending to the President and FEMA, specific requests to include request of reimbursements and support immediately for the Army Corps of Engineers and other facilities of FEMA.
“Right now, thousands of people are reeling with trauma from of the most catastrophic storms ever to strike the Caribbean region. Hurricane Irma has toppled buildings and leveled many homes. Making the Virgin Islands whole will require a massive and coordinated effort spanning the course of many months, and indeed years. I will continue to meet with local and federal officials to determine the amount of support needed to facilitate the rebuilding of the Virgin Islands.
“As we did following Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy and most recently Harvey, Americans must once again come together with compassion and care. The President and my colleagues here in Congress have said that Virgin Islands will have everything it needs. Moving forward, I remain hopeful that President Trump and Congress will deliver on their words to support the people of the Virgin Islands.”
To ensure everyone’s safety, our request to postpone scheduled visits to our islands remains in effect, and we urge you to continue to check with your travel agent, airline and accommodation providers regarding cancellation and rebooking policies.
We are receiving a number of requests about the well-being of guests who remained in the Territory. Please mark yourselves safe on this page in an effort to let your loved ones know how you are doing. We will be posting additional information as it becomes available on usviupdate.com.
Let’s continue to support each other as we recover from this terrible weather event.
