The Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility pier in Frederiksted,
St. Croix's deepwater cruise ship facility, withstood the barrage of wind and
storm surge from Hurricane Maria, according to U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth
Mapp.
The runway at Henry Rohlsen Airport has been cleared but
relief flights have not yet begun.
The government is working with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise
Association to coordinate humanitarian missions to evacuate residents, primarily
those with medical conditions. The hospital and medical center on St. Croix
were breached by Maria.
The governor conducted a flyover of St. Croix on Thursday
and reported that the western and southwestern portions of the island received
the greatest damage from Maria's winds and water.
Until further notice, a 24-hour curfew remains in place for
St. Croix, although the curfew is suspended today between noon and 4 p.m. to
allow for essential tasks such as refueling or picking up supplies from the
four distribution centers on the island.
Curfew hours for St. Thomas and St. John are 6 p.m. to 10
a.m.
FEMA urban search and rescue teams arrived on St. Croix
Thursday night.
"It's going to be a long road to recovery. It ain't
gonna happen overnight. We have to manage our expectations realistically and we
will get through this," Mapp said in a media briefing on Thursday.
He called for "all hands on deck" as the USVI
expands its recovery efforts. Maria significantly impacted St. Croix and
worsened conditions in hurricane-affected St. Thomas and St. John.
Hotel updates on St. Croix:
• Divi Carina Bay
Beach Resort & Casino reported that the grounds sustained damage and
assessment is underway.
• Caravelle Hotel
& Casino is operational and will accommodate relief workers.
• Hotel on the Cay
survived the storm and will house first responders and the Air National Guard.
• The Buccaneer was
spared major damage and guests and staff are safe.
St. John:
• Caneel Bay is
closed. Further updates for 2018 will become available in due course.
• Westin St. John is
closed until further notice.
St. Thomas:
• Point Pleasant
sustained some damage. Guests should cancel all reservations through Nov. 15.
• Sugar Bay Resort
& Spa is closed.
• Windward Passage is
closed.
• Club Wyndham
Reservations advises that all four St. Thomas resorts are closed until Oct. 10,
including Margaritaville Vacation Club, Bluebeard's Beach Club, WorldMark St.
Thomas and Elysian Beach Resort.
• Ritz-Carlton St.
Thomas is closed.
• Frenchman's Reef
& Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort is closed.
• Bolongo Bay Beach
Resort is housing relief workers and people in need. It hopes to reopen in the
second or third week of December.