Two tropical waves are trying to form in the Caribbean and dry air, Saharan dust or an upper low system could prevent a storm or delay the development, government officials alerted Virgin Islanders at Monday’s Government House press briefing.
“Right now there’s a tropical wave, a normal tropical wave moving across the Atlantic towards the Leeward Islands and the Greater Antilles. It’s called an area of disturbance over the central tropic Atlantic Ocean. It’s expected to interact with an approaching tropical wave in the next couple of days. We anticipate it coming to our neck of the woods, so to speak, probably Wednesday night, Thursday. According to the National Weather Service in Puerto Rico, it will be primarily a rain and wind event. We’re expecting two to four inches of rain,” Daryl Jaschen, executive director of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said. “It won’t be anything other than a rain event.
Jaschen said the Emergency Operations Center, comprising government agencies, is paying attention. Businesses are being informed of upcoming bad weather and information has been dispersed on the radio and through the National Weather Services and FEMA.
In anticipation of the peak of hurricane season, St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John residents were able to pick up sandbags last weekend through the Emergency Center’s Blue Skies program. Water Island residents will receive sandbags on Saturday at the Community Fire Station. Jaschen said more than 3,000 sandbags have been distributed and should be placed in front of a door to stop wind-driven rain.
Jaschen said the EOC is planning another distribution of sandbags, delivering six each to the elderly and those with disabilities on St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John this week. Residents seeking delivery must call Monday or Tuesday to request drop-off service. Residents on St. Thomas/St. John can call 340-715-6935 and 340-715-6825 on St. Croix. They hope to begin distribution Friday and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The Americans with Disabilities Act office also will take reservations at 340-998-3571. Those who have already received sandbags are not eligible for more, he added.
“Any future events that may come up, we’re going to have sandbag distribution based on a known cyclone threat to the territory, with notices going out through VITEMA’s alert messaging,” he said.
Both Jaschen and Richard Motta, Government House Communications director, stressed the importance for residents to sign up for the VITEMA alerts on the website.
Motta announced that Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. has appointed Kevin Williams as the new chief of staff, replacing Karl Knight, who was named chief executive officer last week of the V.I. Water and Power Authority. Williams has had a long career with the V.I. government, including as a policy advisor for Bryan. He earned several degrees at the University of the Virgin Islands, Motta added. Finance Commissioner Kevin McCurdy will assume the role of Incident Commander for the Energy State of Emergency.
The director also said Bryan plans to have $5 million in tax refunds mailed this week for 1,745 taxpayers who filed by May 19, 2022.
“This action reflects our ongoing dedication to ensuring that the people of the Virgin Islands receive what is rightfully theirs in a timely manner,” Motta said. “We understand the importance of these funds to you and your families, and we are working diligently to process refunds as efficiently as possible.”
The Virgin Islands has been awarded a $69 million grant, Motta announced, on behalf of the governor and Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources from the U.S. Climate Resilience Regional Challenge.
The grant includes pursuing nature-based solutions guided by the community in areas including Watershed and Coastal Improvement Plans, climate-resilient land conservation and park development and education and workforce.
“This funding will start in October and will help make the territory more resilient to climate change and coastal hazards. It comes from the Biden-Harris Administration Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, which is a $575 million program,” Motta said.
With the grant, five new positions will be created at DPNR, 24 full-time positions with five community partner organizations, and paid training opportunities and internships for at least 100 Virgin Islanders, according to Oriol.
