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St. John Islanders Preparing For Hurricane Maria's Arrival

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Published Date

September 19, 2017

With Hurricane Maria, which has blossomed into a Category 5 storm with winds gusting above 160 mph, hours away from a direct hit on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, islanders were doing the best they could to prepare for the wind and rain.

"Supplies and security are in place in Cruz Bay, Coral Bay, and strategically placed across island," read a post on the St. John Community Foundation Facebook page. "The island should be prepared for 20” of rainfall. National Guard placed extra provisions overnight so people can get several days' worth of food and water. Expect roads to get washed out with the already compromised hillsides. Military and Urban Rescue Teams are still on island and will be taking shelter until after the storm, but will be able to respond immediately."

There was no immediate word from the National Park Service, which has been working to address Hurricane Irma's impacts to Virgin Islands National Park two weeks ago. On Monday, the agency said that all national parks in the Caribbean were closed in advance of Maria, and that damage assessments and recovery operations had been suspended. Park Service personnel and their families on St. John were to be relocated to Puerto Rico, though that island was expected to take a direct hit from Hurricane Maria as well.

"Maria is likely to affect Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as an extremely dangerous major hurricane tonight and Wednesday. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the National Hurricane Center advised Tuesday morning.

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