USVI recoup after Omar…curfew lifted

~~Adz:Right~~ USVI – The US protectorates -St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John - were spared the full onslaught of Hurricane Omar as the storm that was originally predicted to make direct landfall on St. Croix passed east of the territory around midnight Wednesday (Oct. 15).

The US Virgin Islands joined the rest of the Caribbean islands that were circumvented by the Category 3 hurricane, although some received more infrastructural damage than others.

Governor John deJongh Jr. declared a state of emergency late Tuesday and the USVI was put under a strict curfew from 6 p.m. Wednesday which lasted until yesterday. There were no reported deaths on any of the islands though the torrential rains and storm winds caused a few homes to become undermined and downed power lines, trees and lamp poles. The territory experienced a complete black out just before the storm hit however, electrical services were returned following the passage of the storm.

Police patrolled in full force Wednesday night until hurricane force winds forced a retreat. VITEMA personnel stayed on full alert throughout the storm, ready to assist or rescue stranded or injured individuals and to clear roadways of debris.

The maximum sustained winds were 33 mph, the National Weather Service at King Airport on St. Thomas reported, much less than the130 mph winds associated with a Category 3 hurricane.  St. Croix saw maximum sustained winds of 48 mph with peak gusts of 62 mph.

Although Omar rained down on the territory for about 8 hours, only about 5.3 inches of rain was produced on St. Croix and 2.5 inches of storm-related rain on St. Thomas.

Schools across the islands were closed since Tuesday (Oct. 14) and are expected to re-open on Monday (Oct. 20) as today Friday is a school holiday.

It is business as usual for the business community as all government agencies were re-opened to the public and the private sector also threw back their doors this morning.

As the storm continues its trek out into the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters are optimistic that hurricane activity for the remainder of the season is over. The islands may experience scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms over the weekend.