💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA said it was preparing for possible Tropical Storm Dorian restoration work on St. Croix
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said on August 27, 2019, that it was monitoring Tropical Storm Dorian and had restoration coordination in place in case the storm caused damage, particularly on St. Croix.
WAPA Executive Director Lawrence J. Kupfer said the National Hurricane Center forecast the storm to pass within 50 to 60 miles of St. Croix on the morning of August 28, 2019, with 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
The authority said contractors on St. Croix could carry out damage assessment and emergency restoration work using 56 line workers, and that additional manpower could be shifted from St. Thomas if needed.
WAPA said its goal was to restore power to critical government facilities within 24 hours after the storm, including hospitals, airports, seaports, VITEMA and emergency response agencies. It said most of those facilities received service through underground circuits.
The utility also said it had pre-staged mutual-aid arrangements, material sourcing agreements, emergency housing and debris staging areas in case outside help was needed after damage assessments.
WAPA said it had about 12.5 days of propane fuel, a 14-day supply of No. 2 oil, and 6,000 gallons of diesel and gasoline for its vehicle fleet. It said water storage on St. Croix stood at about 13.4 million gallons, or roughly 4.5 days of supply.