CHARLOTTE AMALIE — President Donald Trump has approved Governor Albert Bryan, Jr.’s request for an emergency disaster declaration for the weather system that moved through the territory today.
Bryan submitted the request on Monday in advance of the storm’s “impact,” if any.
The territorial governor also issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency which establishes a curfew from 12 a.m. tonight through 12 p.m. tomorrow.
It also authorizes the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs (DLCA) to declare a price freeze.
DLCA Commissioner Richard Evangelista executed the price freeze today.
Regarding the federal declaration, FEMA announced federal disaster assistance has been made available to the territory to supplement its response efforts in the areas affected by Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine from Monday and continuing.
Federal funding is available to the territory, eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures at 75 percent federal funding. This assistance is available for St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas and Water Island.
William Vogel has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected areas, if any.
Additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of the damage assessments.
Bryan has scheduled a press conference for 7:30 a.m. tomorrow to report on the storm’s impacts, if any.
The chief executive also plans to make a final determination about re-opening government offices – which he closed from 1 p.m. today through tomorrow — and the status of the curfew that is in place until noon tomorrow.
The press conference will be carried by local radio stations and streamed live on the government’s page at facebook.com/governmenthouseusvi.
The government of the Virgin Islands is already seeing sugarplums in their heads and catastrophic damage from Invest 92-L.
Now called tropical storm Isaias, it did knock out power to Puerto Rico … before it actually arrived, though.
https://www.fema.gov/pdf/rrr/dec_proc.pdf
