A summary of comments from Governor Mapp, the Commissioner of the Department of Health, the Commissioner of Police, and the fire chief, and a representative from FEMA:
- Opened distribution centers:
- Fire Station @ Fort Christen and Tutu
- Distributing water, MREs, tarps
- Will be distributing more, don’t expect to go to the distribution center and get everything that you need in one day
- They are prepared to distribute more that one tarp per person
- Airlifted water and MREs into STJ, want to get 750-1000 tarps to STJ this evening
- Gov will leave STX 11 am 9/10 to visit STT
- Opened Tutu Plaza and Moe’s today, stationed security there, went without incident
- Did have minor bedlam at the correctional facility, were able to quell that situation, get rations into the facility, going to evacuate all inmates sometime tomorrow (9/10)
- Completed work at Lockhardt Elementary School to be used as shelter
- WAPA was able to send potable water through the system (west end, town and east
end) - Some 4,000 visitors left in the VI, thanks to cruise industry – 2 cruise vessels coming into take passengers back up to FL, plan is to remove up to 4000 people – NCL and
- Royal Caribbean, Dept of Tourism is taking the lead in determine those who have
medical conditions and may need to be prioritized - Not yet able to get transfer of nurses over to STT, getting some nurses over this evening to provide relief
- Congress did pass the $15.8 billion in additional support for FEMA
- Want to be able to roll out the ability to do disaster applications using their smart phones and online to facilitate the distribution of funds, will be able to tell you at some point soon when you will be able to apply for funds
- Food stamp recipients – if you have been without power for 4 hours or more you
will be eligible for additional food stamps to replenish goods that spoiled, once we are finished with the discharge of MRE and businesses are open, you’ll be able to qualify for food stamps - Ship that was expected was delayed because of Jose was delayed but should arrive
this evening, rapid unloading and distribution of items - Remind the community of St Thomas that the curfew remains in effect 6pm to noon
- Early in the morning and late at night despite the curfew there are long lines at the services stations – people are ignoring the curfew, very much concerned about your safety want to be vigilant, they have already and will continue to make arrests of individuals who are disobeying the curfew
- Complaint from WAPA of lots of people on the road interrupting the maintenance
crews - If businesses are open outside of the curfew hours we will have to have the
businesses shuttered - If you are a business and you open your doors and invite individuals to take the
goods, you CANNOT then turn around and claim that your business has been looted
and file insurance claim, this type of behavior will not be tolerated - Elder Sugarbrand – has experienced damage but we are not going to relocate those
patients because it is a familiar environment, the building does need to be fortified - Plan to move the special needs shelter at Schneider Regional, location still to be determined
- Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT) is setting up portable hospital in from of SRMC
- Relocating 200 patients who need dialysis to PR
Pediatric and Pre Natal care clinic at Nisky Center – open to walk ins - Opening a first aid and urgent care clinic so that ER isn’t overwhelmed – in process
of identifying a location - All nurses and doctors of maternal/child health center to report at 8 am
- All govt workers on St Croix back to work
- Public school on STX resumes Tuesday morning
- Setting up phone banks and computer terminals, making facilities available in the Senate building – hopefully no later than Tuesday
* St Croix continues to grow as the center for recovery, British troops will be staged and positioned on STX before heading to the BVI to assist - Attorney Adrian Dudley tasked to take the lead on coordinating recovery dollars and commodities
- CFVI or St. Croix Community Foundation to be the base entity to set up a specific fund
- On the phone with a number of companies/entities that want to send resources
working with FEMA and VITEMA to help coordinate that effort - Today FEMA distributed:
- 1575 meals on STJ, 18000 liters on STJ
- 725 meals and 18000 liters on STT, 1900 tarps on STT
- 1-800- 621-3362 to register for FEMA assistance, 7 days a week 7a-11p Register at disasterassistance.gov
original video: VI Consortium Saturday Press Briefing