Tropical Storm Ernesto had a detrimental impact on the United States Virgin Islands, slowing down farming as well as causing power outages across the territory.
Farmers reported that the damaged infrastructure would make growing and harvesting crops more difficult. Yvette Brown, a farmer of Sejah Farms in Castle Burke, commented on the damage she had seen to the trees in neighboring farms, saying “Unless they were replanted quickly, the trees would be lost.”
Farmers have begun cleaning up their farms in light of the storm so they can continue with their livelihoods. For some of the farms, cleaning up means disposing of dead livestock and fixing collapsed structures, adding to the already strenuous work of being a farmer. At a farm in St. John Maumi Roller reported that “There was a lot of cleanup involved. My fiancee Tyler was here all day and one of our workers was able to come. It was a long day of cleaning up.” Roller’s farm had a collapsed shade house, which caused “three rows of micro arugula bound for local restaurants were left washed out by heavy rain.” She added that this was an expensive crop, at $55 a pound, highlighting that farmers not only lost money through damaged infrastructure but also through damaged products.
Before the storm hit territories, the farmers were warned by a group linked to Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) that a storm was coming. A workshop had been scheduled so the farmers could prepare themselves, but since then the workshop has been postponed. Now, this group is reaching out to farmers for documentation of damage done to their farms. Farmers have pointed out that time is of the essence and thus they cannot waste time waiting for government officials to come to assess their land. Documenting the proof via videos and sending them to the SARE group may be a way to be able to get back to their work as soon as possible. Brown said “There’s one thing that’s overlooked. There is no assessment of damage to the farmers, and that’s critical. That’s something that our leaders need to look at. We can’t sit back; this is our livelihood.”
As well as disruptions in agriculture electricity was lost for more than 2,000 residents. It was reported that trees had fallen on power lines, resulting in safety hazards as well as a loss of electricity. The Water and Power Authority (WAPA) Chief Executive Officer Karl Knight said “The absence of a dedicated tree-trimming team, a result of budget constraints, has compounded the difficulties in keeping the power lines clear.” In total WAPA has been able to restore electricity to 49,195 customers across the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) decided to grant the USVI with federal disaster assistance. This allows FEMA to alleviate hardship caused by the emergency, and take appropriate action to save lives, protect property, and ameliorate the threat of the disaster. The emergency measures will be provided at 75% federal funding.
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