CHRISTIANSTED — Governor Kenneth Mapp has urged residents of the territory to take necessary precautions even as Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, weakened to a tropical storm and is expected to pass south of the Virgin Islands in the days ahead.
After meeting with members of his emergency management team as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials late Friday and early Saturday morning, the Governor called on Virgin Islanders to be prepared for potentially heavy rainfall, as well as strong winds and possible flooding.
As of 11:13 a.m. AST Saturday, July 7, the National Weather Service reported: “Beryl weakens to a tropical storm and is expected to continue moving west-northwest during the next few days. Marine and weather conditions are expected to deteriorate across the local waters, particularly the Caribbean waters and the Mona passage, late Sunday night into Monday. Mariners should monitor the development of this system.”
“Now is not the time to be complacent,” Mapp said. “I urge all residents and visitors in the territory to be vigilant as some tropical storm conditions are possible over the next few days. We expect much rain and rough seas so it is important that we put safety first.”
To stay informed of the latest updates, the public should visit http://vitema.vi.gov and sign up for Alert VI at https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736729008#/signup.