U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS—Governor Albert Bryan Jr., members of his Cabinet and Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett traveled through the St. Thomas-St. John District on Thursday assessing damage from Hurricane Dorian and found that, except for downed vegetation and trees, both islands were well on their way back to business as usual.
Government of the Virgin Islands Agencies also performed assessments of their respective areas of responsibility, also reporting that by Thursday afternoon, the islands largely were back to status quo.
ROADS
Public Works crews worked until about midnight Wednesday night after the storm, clearing most of the large debris in the roadways to provide a safe commute for residents after the curfew was lifted at 8 a.m., according to Public Works Commissioner Nelson Petty Jr.
SHELTERS
About 35 residents were housed in shelters across the Territory for the duration of Hurricane Dorian, and except for generator issues that quickly were mitigated at two of the shelters, there were only minor issues, according to Human Services Commissioner Designee Kimberley Causey-Gomez.
The generator, which is outdoors and unprotected from the elements, at the Mars Hill shelter in Frederiksted failed Wednesday morning when the rain began, and the family of four residents there were transported to the shelter at the University of the Virgin Islands Great Hall. Ultimately, 20 residents sheltered at UVI, and the facility was closed at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
The Julius Sprauve School on St. John, where six residents sheltered from Hurricane Dorian, initially did not have a generator in place; however, Human Services had a generator brought to the school, and it was used when power failed. There was an issue with flooding in the cafeteria, and the residents were moved to another area and were able to stay overnight at the shelter.
PORTS
All seaports in the Territory were opened at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the V.I. Port Authority.
Henry Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix opened at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, and Cyril King Airport on St. Thomas opened at 7 a.m. Thursday.
The Port Authority also enlisted a special ferry about noon Thursday to bring visitors on St. John to Crown Bay so that they could catch their flights at King Airport on time.
Additionally, the Port Authority communicated with British Virgin Islands Tourist Board on Thursday morning to let them know The U.S. Virgin Islands was open, and BVI officials arranged charter flights via Inter Caribbean to fly their visitors directly to King Airport.
All airlines are operating normally, with the exception of Seaborne, which only is flying out of the airport because there is a vessel impeding operations at the St. Croix seaplane terminal.
Additionally, Delta provided three rescue flights on Thursday, as well as three regular flights.
Port Authority facilities did sustain some damages, including destruction to roofing, downed trees, debris and seaweed deposited onto the bulkheads and docks. Port Authority employees have completed assessments and are cleaning the ports to ensure they are aesthetically pleasing for travelers.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
The V.I. Waste Management Authority issued an advisory on Wednesday morning warning residents of potential flooding issues because of heavy rains overflowing the pumping stations and sewage system.
Impact to the sewage system can occur after the storm has passed because of runoff and continued rain.
Residents can report any sewage issues by calling 340-513-4171 or sending an email to communications@viwma.org.
All wastewater treatment plants and pump stations are online, with the exception of Nana Gut, and Waste Management engineers and other specialized employees continue to monitor all plants and stations.
Waste Management is advising the public that green waste should not be disposed of at the bin sites or convenience centers. Green waste must be disposed of at the landfill. Additionally, household waste can be disposed of at the bin sites and convenience centers, and the Authority is reminding residents that waste should be put inside the bin and not on the ground next to it.
SCHNEIDER HOSPITAL
Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas and the Myrah Keating Clinic on St. John remained operational during and after Hurricane Dorian, according to Schneider CEO Bernard Wheatley. Schneider Hospital’s Emergency Operations Center was activated at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning and was terminated at 9 a.m. Thursday; there were no disruptions or major concerns at either Schneider or the Keating Clinic.
During the power outages, Schneider Hospital operated on 100 percent backup generator power, and the Myrah Keating Clinic also ran on 100 percent backup generation.
V.I. FIRE SERVICE
The V.I. Fire Service reported no major incidents on either St. Croix or on St. John, where 12 personnel were stationed between both fire stations,
On St. Thomas, 18 firefighters and trainees cleared road debris on Wednesday and Thursday. The Fire Service also responded to a number of small fires caused primarily by blown transformers or wires caught the trees; however, there were no major incidents.
DLCA
Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Designee Richard Evangelista directed DLCA Enforcement Officers, Inspectors, and other staff to personally deliver copies of the Prize Freeze and Restricted Sale Order that the department issued Wednesday morning to businesses and to check for price-gouging.
Commissioner Designee Evangelista is asking residents to alert DLCA of any instances of price-gouging by calling the offices at 340-714-3522 on St. Thomas; 340-713-3522 on St. Croix; 340-693-8039 on St. John; or to send an email to consumerawareness@dlca.vi.gov.
DPNR
On Thursday, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources were focusing on three initiatives, according to DPNR Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol:
- Drinking and potable water – DPNR wants all drinking water establishments to inform the department’s Division of Environmental Protection to report any compromises to their systems.
- Beaches – DPNR is issuing an advisory warning the public about run-off from Hurricane Dorian and advising residents to avoid near-shore activities.
- Sunk/damaged vessels – Sunken and damaged vessels must be reported to DPNR’s Division of Environmental Enforcement, and to remove the vessel or face the possibility of incurring the removal cost if DPNR has to do it.
BIT
The Bureau of Information Technology is responsible for emergency responder communications during a disaster, and Director Designee Rupert Ross said Thursday that all emergency responder communications are fully operational.
“We experienced challenges with emergency power at specific tower sites, including the site that connects St. Thomas and St. John,” The Director Designee said. “If this site loses power, communication between St. Thomas and St. John will be disrupted.”
Director Designee Ross said the issue with the generator at that site has been identified and repairs are underway.
BIT also currently is tracking issues with cell service providers and supporting where required, and both Sprint and AT&T have reported that technicians are working to restore full service in the St. Thomas-St. John District.
VITEMA
Before Hurricane Dorian’s arrival, the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency activated its Emergency Operations Centers on all three islands, which assumed 24-hour operations to coordinate the Territory’s response to the storm.
“We will continue to coordinate response and recovery operations while preparing the Territory for the remainder of the 2019 Hurricane Season,” VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen said.
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