Mapp Suspends Curfew On St. Croix; Territory’s First Responder Resources Being Redirected To St. Thomas

ST. THOMAS — Governor Kenneth Mapp has suspended on St. Croix the 36-hour curfew initiated Wednesday, telling The Consortium this morning that the island did not sustain much damage as the St. Thomas-St. John District, and that he would be monitoring the situation throughout the day, to determine whether to end the curfew altogether. The suspension began at 8:00 a.m. and runs through 6:00 p.m. If the governor does not make a decision by then, residents of St. Croix will have to be indoors by 6:00 p.m. tonight. The curfew remains in effect on St. Thomas.

With Hurricane Irma unleashing most of its damage on the St. Thomas-St. John District in the U.S.V.I., the Mapp administration has moved to redirect the territory’s first responder arms, including V.I.P.D. officers, emergency medical technicians and members of the National Guard, to aid with rescue and recovery efforts, according to the government’s Emergency Operations Command, which serves as a centralized point to receive and disseminate information, and to adequately deploy resources.

The situation in St. Thomas has stressed the territory’s resources, according to the Mapp administration’s deputy communications director, Samuel Topp. Irma lashed the district with lots of rain and hurricane-force winds, leaving many parts of the second largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands in shambles, with dozens of persons reporting destroyed roofs, flooding, collapsed homes and more. And as the pictures started to surface on social media last night, the grim reality of Irma’s destruction to St. Thomas and St. John started to materialize.

Mr. Topp told The Consortium Wednesday night that the entire Schneider Regional Medical Center has been compromised. “One hospital official described the hospital as representing catastrophic failure,” Mr. Topp said. He said planning and logistics were underway to evacuate the patient population at Schneider Hospital to a United States Military ship. “That has not been finalized and that is being contemplated as we speak,” Mr. Topp said.

The roof of the hospital was destroyed during the storm, and patients on the fourth and third floors were temporarily moved to the second floor. Yet, even the move to a lower level was not sufficient, because of how badly the hospital was damaged. A trusted government source, who was not sanctioned to speak officially, told The Consortium that a field hospital, known as a mobile medical unit, was also being considered.

Thankfully, the territory has the backing of the U.S. government, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), already deployed. “We are very fortunate that earlier this evening, President Trump issued a declaration of emergency that authorizes FEMA to access and assist in deploying the emergency response capabilities that the federal government has now put into our service,” Mr. Topp said. The assistance includes debris removal and emergency medical assistance, among other forms of aid.

The roofs of homes, hotels, gas stations and even Government House, were ripped off their frames, making room for strong winds to batter items on the inside, along with the incessant pouring of rain (Governor Kenneth Mapp reported 12 inches had fallen in the St. Thomas-St. John District as of 4:00 p.m. Wednesday).

Suddenly, buildings that were once considered safe turned into entrapment structures, sending their dwellers into panic, even as the water continued to rise, and the terrifying sound of the Irma’s wind gnawed. Human instinct forced the hurricane victims into survival mode, and some corralled themselves in areas of the compromised structures deemed the most protective.

Soon after, the distress calls came pouring in: “I need help for my mom after storm passes, she is in Wintberg. House is in bad shape — windows and doors gone; she is in a closet. Glass and water everywhere- I need help to get her out of there once this is over, please. I need to get her somewhere dry. She is 1-22 Wintberg, St. Thomas. She is 83 years old. Her roof is gone — just a pile of rubble,” wrote Sarah Beck, a post that was widely shared.

“My mom needs help. She’s on STJ, 16-5 George Simmons Terrace. Last I heard from her she was hiding in a closet and water was rising up through the floor from the cistern. Glass door and windows busted,” wrote Chezni Charles.

“My mom is stuck with flooding up to her knees and more water pouring in. If anyone can please help Eril Mitcham. Mountain Top Condo 11- D. St Thomas,” wrote Angie White. Moments later, a neighbor of Ms. White’s mother, offered to help. “We live right by and can send help,” offered Meredith Butala.

These stories were unique in their own right, yet similar in many ways as they all brought to light the destruction Irma left in its wake.

Meanwhile on St. Croix, the Dept. of Public Works has deployed its road crews to clear major roadways, and the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority has been slowly turning on feeders.

St. Croix, with its minimum damage to both infrastructure and residential properties, will soon recover and get back to a sense of normalcy. But the reality on the ground in St. Thomas and St. John, is that they will require months, if not years, to rebuild.