Bryan, agencies reported limited damage on St. Thomas and St. John after Hurricane Dorian

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., cabinet members and Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett toured St. Thomas and St. John on Aug. 29, 2019, to assess damage from Hurricane Dorian. Government officials reported limited storm damage, largely involving downed trees and vegetation, and said both islands were returning to normal operations by that afternoon.

Public Works Commissioner Nelson Petty Jr. said road crews worked until about midnight on Aug. 28, 2019, clearing major debris from roadways before the 8 a.m. curfew lift on Aug. 29.

Human Services Commissioner Designee Kimberley Causey-Gomez said about 35 residents sheltered across the territory during the storm. A generator failure at the Mars Hill shelter in Frederiksted led to four residents being moved to the University of the Virgin Islands Great Hall, where 20 residents sheltered before that facility closed at 9 p.m. on Aug. 28. On St. John, six residents sheltered at Julius Sprauve School, where a generator was brought in after power failed and residents were moved within the building because of cafeteria flooding.

The Virgin Islands Port Authority said all seaports reopened at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 29. Henry E. Rohlsen Airport reopened at 5:30 a.m. and Cyril E. King Airport reopened at 7 a.m. that day. The authority said Seaborne flights were limited by a vessel impeding operations at the St. Croix seaplane terminal, while other airlines were operating normally. Port Authority facilities sustained some roof damage, downed trees, debris and seaweed on docks and bulkheads.

The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority said all wastewater treatment plants and pump stations were online except Nana Gut, and engineers were monitoring the system after warning on Aug. 28 of possible flooding-related sewage problems.

Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas and the Myrah Keating Clinic on St. John remained operational during and after the storm, according to Schneider CEO Bernard Wheatley. Both facilities operated on backup generator power during outages, and Wheatley reported no major concerns.

The Virgin Islands Fire Service reported no major incidents on St. Croix or St. John. On St. Thomas, 18 firefighters and trainees cleared road debris on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 and responded to several small fires linked mainly to blown transformers or wires caught in trees.

The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs said it distributed copies of a price freeze and restricted sale order to businesses on Aug. 28 and checked for price gouging.

The Department of Planning and Natural Resources said on Aug. 29 that it was monitoring drinking water systems, warning the public to avoid near-shore beach activity because of storm runoff, and requiring reports of sunken or damaged vessels.

The Bureau of Information Technology said emergency responder communications were fully operational, though a generator problem at a tower site linking St. Thomas and St. John had been identified and repairs were underway. Sprint and AT&T also reported work to restore full service in the district.

The Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency said its emergency operations centers on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix had been activated before the storm and continued operating around the clock to coordinate the response.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-assesses-st-thomas-st-john-government-agencies-update-public-after-hurricane-dorian/