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Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. said Wednesday that President Obama has issued a major disaster declaration for the Virgin Islands, triggering the availability of federal funds to supplement the recovery from the effects of Hurricane Earl, which impacted the territory
August 29–31, 2010.
“According to the Presidential declaration, which was issued late Tuesday evening, federal aid is available to the local government and certain non-profit organizations for emergency work and for the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities territory-wide,” de Jongh said.
The declaration also allows the local government and certain non-profit organizations to apply to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which funds projects that prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards. Following the completion of damage assessments territory-wide, de Jongh wrote to President Obama requesting that he declare a major disaster for the Virgin Islands in accordance with the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
“The Public Assistance Program application procedures for local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state Applicants Briefings; locations of the meetings will be announced soon,” said Phillip Parr, FEMA’s designated Federal Coordinating Officer.
The governor explained that to obtain a Presidential declaration, the territory first had to quantify the damages it sustained, including measuring the debris collected and placed at landfills, to ensure that it met the minimum threshold. “For this disaster, that threshold was $1 million. The territory’s request for a declaration also had to be reviewed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA), regional and national offices, before it was officially submitted to President Obama for his final action,” de Jongh said.
Governor de Jongh has appointed Director Walters as the Territorial Coordinating Officer for the local government’s response and recovery effort. “A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) team is expected to arrive in the territory this week to establish a joint field office and to begin working with local government agencies on documenting expenses incurred as a result of Hurricane Earl,” VITEMA Director Mark A. Walters stated.
According to the governor’s request for a disaster declaration, Earl’s tropical force winds “uprooted large trees and scattered debris onto major thoroughfares rendering them impassable. To compound this problem, major roadways, along with culvert and guts, were flooded by torrential rains. Throughout the Territory fallen trees and tree limbs tripped power lines and pulled poles from grounds softened by downpours associated with the system. Consequently, the Virgin Islands suffered power outages for the majority of its feeders for several days. St. Thomas sustained the most significant damage to its electrical systems overall,” the governor stated in the letter. Earl is estimated to have caused more than $2.5 million in damages to the territory’s infrastructure based on the assessments completed by local government agencies and compiled by the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA).
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