Virgin Islands |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-current. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
|
October 29, 1987 Location: Hawk's Nest Bay J.P. was a passenger on a cruise ship which had arrived in St. John's. He joined several other tourists who had rented a sailboat. The group anchored the sailboat and decided to swim ashore. J.P. was the last one to get into the water. One of the other swimmers looked back and saw that J.P. was making no progress. The swimmer returned and found J.P. floating face down in the water wearing a lifejacket. The swimmer pulled J.P. to shore and another started CPR. Authorities were notified and transported J.P. to St. John's Clinic where he was pronounced dead. His wife, daughter, and grandson were passengers on the cruise ship.
SERO has been attempting to contact both parks to determine the scope and nature of the damage caused by the hurricane. They're working with Region 8 of the USFS to get a phone message through to San Juan via Caribbean NF and with a USFS ham operator to contact Virgin Islands. Further information will be relayed as soon as it is received. (Telephone reports from. Bill Springer and Steve Smith, RAD/SERO).
It is still unclear what impact Hurricane Hugo has had on Virgin Islands and Christiansted. Efforts to contact the parks directly have so far been fruitless. Shortly after noon yesterday, however, the resource management specialist from Virgin Islands called, the regional office from a naval ship off St. Croix. She reported that 95% of the homes on the island had been damaged, that looting was going on, and that gunfire had occurred in unspecified places. She was unable to report on the status of other park employees. A second employee who later called from. St. Thomas reported that 60% of the homes there were damaged, that the park facilities at Wintberg and Red Hook were damaged, but intact, and that a residence at Red Hook had lost its roof. Although the docks at Red Hook were undamaged, ferries were not yet running to St. John. The superintendent of San Juan NHS has been contacted, and he reports that the hurricane caused only minor damage to the fort. He is going to attempt to charter an amphibious aircraft to get down to Virgin Islands and report directly on the situation there. (Telephone reports from Steve Smith and Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO).
San Juan NHS superintendent "Ping" Crawford leased a plane yesterday, flew to St. Croix, then hitched across the island to Christiansted to check on park employees there. Although the park's housing had been leveled, he found that everyone was okay and that the park's historic structures were largely intact. He also learned that there was virtually no law on the island and that looting and robbery were rampant. Crawford flew one ranger and his family back to Puerto Rico. Shortly after he reported his findings to region, Christiansted superintendent Bob Greer called via ham radio and asked that the park be evacuated. Southeast Region worked through the Southern Interagency Coordination Center to charter a Lear jet to fly to St. Croix this morning to pick up the seven or eight non-resident employees remaining at Christiansted. Phone reports were also received yesterday from Virgin Islands NP which indicated that everyone was okay, that the quarters at Cruz Bay are largely intact, and that there was some damage to facilities there. (Telephone report from Steve Smith, RAD/SERO).
The following update on Hurricane Hugo's impacts on units of the National Park System in the Southeast was prepared by staff in the Service's Southeast Regional Office from phone calls made to each park's superintendent or chief ranger early today. It was forwarded to the Washington Office at 6 a.m. this morning. Because of darkness and winds, it was not always possible to get an accurate assessment of the storm's effects to this point. Reports on the Virgin Islands were received yesterday afternoon. Further updates will be provided as soon as parks are able to evaluate the hurricane's impact and report to the regional office. Virgin Islands National Park The superintendent reports that there's been structural damage in the park, and that several park residences have been flattened or heavily damaged. No further information is available at present.
The following is a brief summary of the impacts of Hurricane Hugo on several eastern parks as of Friday afternoon: - Virgin Islands - The superintendent reports that there's been structural damage in the park, and that several park residences have been flattened or heavily damaged. He estimates that it will cost $1 million to replace the five houses lost to the hurricane.
SERO has received a preliminary report from the park advising that a search is underway for a person who disappeared when a boat capsized in the park on December 22nd. A second person on the boat was rescued and brought to safety. Details to follow. (CompuServe message from Troy Lissimore, RAD/SERO, 12/24).
The boat that overturned in park waters on the 24th was a 12-footer with a 235 hp engine which was known to park rangers. It was reported to have been operating without running lights between St. Thomas and the British Virgin Islands around 9 p.m. that evening. Waters were turbulent at that time due to significant tidal changes. When the boat was swamped, its two occupants attempted to swim to St. John. After about an hour, one of the two men reached the shore, where a citizen found him and took him to the local clinic. When rangers arrived at the clinic, they found him unconscious and suffering from pulmonary edema. Rangers employed three boats in a 24-hour- long search of the waters where the boat capsized, but were unable to find the second man. (Telefax from Pat Stanek, RAD/SERO, 12/26).
The search for the second occupant of the boat which capsized in park waters ended on the 26th with the discovery of his body on the rocks outside the beach at Caneel Bay Resort. The unidentified victim was removed by rangers and released to the coroner in St. John. The overturned boat has been recovered and is in the park's possession. No identification has been made of either of the two men who were in the boat. (Telefax from Pat Stanek, RAD/SERO, 12/27).
While on patrol of the waters around Buck Island Reef on April 12th, rangers spotted a rubber dinghy adrift, boarded it, and found that it contained several containers of marijuana. An area search of the island was made, but no suspects were found. As they headed back to port, the rangers heard that the Coast Guard was engaged in the recovery of a sailboat which had run aground on the reef. They contacted the Coast Guard and found that the dinghy belonged to the captain of the sailboat. The sailboat was then boarded and searched. Investigation revealed that two other men had been aboard the sailboat when it ran aground, and that they had disembarked in the dinghy and landed on Buck Island just before the rangers had found their boat adrift. A search of the island led to the discovery of more marijuana hidden in plastic bags in the jungle. All three persons were arrested, and 462 pounds of cured marijuana was seized. Both Customs and the NPS will file charges against the suspects. [Bob Marriott, RAD/WASO, 4/18]
M.C., a 36-year-old resident of Texas who was living aboard his boat in Coral Bay, drowned sometime late on July 7th, apparently while attempting to recover a dinghy that had come loose from the stern of his 38-foot sailboat. The sailboat had been patched after damage from Hurricane Hugo in 1988 and was en route to a shipyard in Cruz Bay, St. John for additional repairs. Witnesses saw the vessel suddenly change course and enter Drunk Bay, an area of rough, rugged shoreline on the island's south coast. Seas were running from six to seven feet at the time. Evidence suggests that M.C. entered the water to retrieve the dinghy and became trapped between the incoming seas and backwaves generated by the rock shore. The boat ran aground and broke up during the night. Rangers, local authorities and area residents conducted a search of the are on the 8th and 9th. On July 10th, ranger saw M.C.'s body in the bay about 300 yards from the grounded vessel and 100 yards offshore. The body was recovered under very difficult circumstances, including high seas and the threatening shoreline. An investigation has revealed that alcohol was a contributing factor in Craddock's drowning. [Chuck Dale, CR, VIIS, via telefax from John Beck, RAD/SERO, 7/11]
On November 1st, rangers interrupted a smuggling operation and seized over 300 pounds of baled marijuana valued at over $600,000 in the Mary Creek area on the north shore of St. John. Also seized were two vehicles used in the smuggling operation and a variety of equipment found at the scene. Several individuals were apparently involved in the operation, but no arrests have yet been made. Virgin Islands police assisted rangers by establishing road blocks in the area; Customs officers and DEA and FBI agents have joined in the investigation. The marijuana was turned over to the DEA. [Telefax from Chuck Dale, CR, VIIS, 11/4]
B.W. of St. John was arrested by rangers at Trunk Bay overlook on October 29th and charged with possession of cocaine. B.W. was taken before a U.S. magistrate judge, who released B.W. after he posted a $10,000 property bond. [Telefax from Chuck Dale, CR, VIIS, 11/4]
On the afternoon of December 2nd, the body of M.M., 60, of Wayland, Massachusetts, was found in the water at the north end of Cinnamon Bay Beach. All efforts to revive her were unsuccessful. M.M. appears to have drowned. [Paul Thomas, Acting Superintendent, VIIS, 12/7]
D.L., 23, of Coral Bay, St. John, was driving on North Shore Road on the afternoon of November 24th when he lost control of his vehicle and went over an embankment at the turn-off to Francis Bay. D.L. died of injuries sustained in the accident. There were no witnesses. [Paul Thomas, Acting Superintendent, VIIS, 12/7]
Rangers arrested P.C., 21, for possession of a controlled substance on the afternoon of December 3rd. P.C. was spotted sitting on Solomon Beach, pouring a green substance onto a piece of white paper. Upon investigation, rangers found that he was in possession of a bag of marijuana and 55 bags of crack cocaine. [Paul Thomas, Acting Superintendent, VIIS, 12/7]
Around midnight on January 16th, a 39-year-old woman from San Diego was walking back from Cruz Bay to her campsite at Cinnamon Bay when a man driving a vehicle typical of those found on the island stopped and offered her a ride. She accepted. The man drove her to Trunk Bay and sexually assaulted he, then returned her to the campground. Virgin Islands police department officers are currently looking for a local individual who meets the man's description. [Steve Alscher, RLES, RAD/SERO, 1/19]
Around 6:15 p.m. on April 1st, the park received a call from police on St. John reporting an overdue hiker. R.M., who was visiting friends on the island, decided to hike the Reef Bay trail alone to see some petroglyphs. When R.M. failed to return in the afternoon as scheduled, his host became concerned and called the police. A hasty search of the area was conducted, but proved fruitless and was called off at 11:30 p.m. A full-scale search was begun early the following morning; five search teams comprised of volunteers and park and Virgin Island police department personnel were deployed on all watersheds and trails, but were not able to find R.M.. The search was resumed the following day. Around 9:30 a.m., the park received a call from the clinic in St. John advising that R.M. had been found by one of the volunteers, who had decided to hike the main trail early that morning. EMS personnel and rangers went to the scene. The found R.M. in good shape except for a sprained ankle and cuts and bruises. He was able to hike the one mile to the shoreline, where a park boat was waiting to take him to Cruz Bay. R.M. was taken to the clinic for observation. [Paul Thomas, Management Assistant, VIIS, 4/7]
The park received a report on April 7th that a vehicle had been stolen from the Salt Pond Beach parking area. Rangers and territorial police responded. A witness identified the thief as K.M., who had been arrested in the past by rangers for theft and tampering with vehicles. K.M. is also suspected of numerous other thefts from vehicles and beach bags in the park. The driver of the vehicle had left the keys to the car in a console between the seats. K.M. took the vehicle for a "joy ride", and picked up the witness, who was hitchhiking. After he returned the vehicle to the parking lot, K.M. ran into the woods. Rangers and police searched for and found and arrested him. A joint investigation is underway. The case is being prosecuted through the territorial court. [CRO, VIIS, 4/13]
On the morning of July 7th, visitor G.F. advised Cruz Bay rangers that his friend, J.D.B., of Austin, Texas, was missing. G.F. said that J.D.B. was staying on a chartered 42-foot sailboat which was anchored just off Caneel Bay in the park's Northshore District. The two men had dined together the previous evening, after which G.F. had dropped J.D.B. off at his boat. When G.F. approached J.D.B.'s boat on the morning of the 7th, he found the lights still on and the boat's dinghy missing. A search of the area was immediately begun, and the dinghy was found washed up on rocks near Lovango Cay just outside the park's boundary. A search by rangers and employees of the Caneel Bay Shipyard was conducted through the early morning hours of the 8th, but suspended when no sign of J.D.B. was found. A Coast Guard search that day also proved fruitless. [Paul Thomas, MA, VIIS, 7/14]
On the morning of January 23rd, rangers and National Guardsmen discovered two marijuana fields on the south side of Bourdeaux Mountain while conducting an aerial search for such plants. Rangers and Virgin Island police then searched the area by foot, found two more fields, and confiscated 322 marijuana plants with a street value of about $300,000. Most of the plants were in containers; the plots ranged in size from about 90 square feet to 125 square feet. A system consisting of a large barrel and tarp had been set up to capture rain. The plants were watered by hand. Three species were found, one of them producing buds. More such flights are planned. [Lucia Roberts, PR, VIIS, 1/23]
As of 5 a.m. this morning, tropical storm Iris was about 200 miles northeast of the Virgin Islands and moving to the north at about 10 mph. Although the island will experience high winds and rain today, it was spared from stronger effects by the storm's shift to a more northerly course yesterday. The superintendent issued a storm warning for parks in the islands yesterday afternoon when it appeared that Iris would pass over them. The park's revised hurricane plan was put into effect at that time and all areas were secured. [Francis Peltier, SEFO]
On August 9th, the park received a report that a nine-foot dinghy had been stolen from an anchorage in the park at Leinster Bay. Information was later received that the operator of the "Lady Ivelisse" out of Puerto Rico had taken the boat. Ranger Lucia Roberts contacted the Coast Guard, which in turn contacted Customs, which found the "Lady Ivelisse" and the dinghy. Customs officers also discovered that the owner had not cleared customs when he returned from Puerto Rico. He faces a $9,000 fine for customs violations and will be charged for the theft of the dinghy. [CRO, VIIS]
Hurricane Luis, now with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, was about 320 miles east-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 5 a.m. this morning. Luis is now a Category Four hurricane of about the same strength as Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The hurricane has slowed down and is now moving toward the west at about nine mph. A gradual turn to the west-northwest is expected later today. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 125 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 200 miles. Winds at Antigua in the Leeward Islands were reported at 76 mph this morning. Hurricane warnings are now in effect for the islands of the northeast Caribbean from Dominica to Puerto Rico. Tropical storm force winds are expected in the Virgin Islands this morning. The governments of both territories have implemented emergency operations plans, as have parks in the two areas. The forts at San Juan were closed yesterday and will remain closed through today. All employees have been given administrative leave, and have been advised to call in tomorrow morning if they can't make it to work. [Mark Hardgrove, Assistant Superintendent, SAJU; FEMA Hurricane Luis Advisory]
As of 7:30 this morning, the park was still receiving strong winds (gusting to 45 mph) and heavy rains, although Hurricane Luis is now 200 miles northeast of the islands. Ocean swells on the Atlantic side of the island are running between 9 and 12 feet; on the Caribbean side, they are from 5 to 6 feet. The park received some damage, but nothing major. The superintendent reports minor flooding, lots of trees down, and roof damage to the visitor center at Cruz Bay, the old superintendent's house on Centerline Road, and buildings at Maho Bay and Red Hook. The storm should clear the area by tonight. Only division chiefs and essential employees are working today; all employees will be in tomorrow. The superintendent also feels that park staff will be able to handle repairs and clean-up without outside help. [Steve Smith, SEFA; Francis Peltier, Superintendent, VIIS]
Hurricane Marilyn brought high winds and a good deal of rain to Puerto Rico, but inflicted very little damage to the island or to San Juan NHS. No direct communication has yet been received from Christiansted or Virgin Islands, but San Juan superintendent Ping Crawford flew to the parks by helicopter yesterday to assess the hurricane's impacts. He subsequently reported that all employees were okay, but that considerable damage had been inflicted to the parks there: * Saint Croix - Some roof damage to facilities. * Saint John - Power lines and trees down, roofs blown off most structures (including park residences), complete loss of the Caneel Bay Plantation resort and Cinnamon Bay campground facilities. * Saint Thomas - Loss of three government residences at Wintberg Estates, major damage to Red Hook administrative office, destruction of half the residence at Red Hook. Southeast Field Area's Type II all-risk incident management team was dispatched to Puerto Rico late on September 16th and arrived in the park the following day. The team now has a command post at San Juan headquarters. The incident commander is Gordon Wissinger from Natchez Trace; team members are Kent Cave, Fort Pulaski, information officer; Daryl Rhodes, Everglades, operations section chief; Bob Wightman, Great Smokies, planning section chief; Kevin Kacer, Big Cypress, logistics section chief; Deborah Ledford, Kings Mountain, finance section chief; Rick Black, Kennesaw Mountain, ordering manager. Wissinger, Rhodes and Crawford will attempt to reach St. Thomas and St. John today. They are working on establishment of transportation and logistics systems to meet NPS needs. National Type I and II teams have also been sent to the area (see fire report below). [Steve Smith, SEFA]
Incident commander Gordon Wissinger was scheduled to fly to St. Thomas yesterday to meet with Virgin Islands park superintendent Francis Peltier to assess park needs and obtain a delegation of authority, but the trip was canceled due to mechanical trouble with the aircraft. Following his earlier trip to the islands, San Juan superintendent Ping Crawford reported that park employees were "tired but mentally strong", and that employee morale was better than would be expected after such a difficult ordeal. As many as 90 employees and their family members may have been affected by the storm. The immediate objectives of the IMT (incident management team) are to determine and meet the basic and most pressing needs of park employees and their families and to assess resource and facility damage. Logistical concerns are a high priority for the team. The moving of recovery resources into the islands will be subject to the availability of vessels and aircraft, both in short supply at present. Resources currently on order include an electrician and helper, a supervisory dispatcher for the area coordination center, a saw crew, a helicopter crew module, vehicles, generators, food, medical supplies and numerous other necessities. [Kent Cave, IO, IMT]
Incident commander Gordon Wissinger and operations chief Daryl Rhodes flew to the park yesterday. They received a delegation of authority from the superintendent and a long list of needs. Park staff and family members are in the process of digging out and cleaning up. A liberal leave policy is in effect. Along with damage reported previously, it now appears that ENP&MA facilities suffered major damage and that almost all stock was lost. Task assignments for today include making contact with one employee on St. John who has not been heard from, making generators operational, bringing a displaced employee (the park budget analyst) to St. Thomas, negotiating with the concessioner for use of facilities for an incident command post, and beginning efforts to obtain roofing materials and install new roofs. Orders are being shipped as aircraft availability and cargo space allows. About 520 pounds of supplies and a generator were shipped yesterday. The status of facilities and the ability to support arriving resources is a major concern, as a flood of recovery personnel into the area without proper support would only compound existing logistical problems. The support of San Juan NHS in this emergency has been crucial to the success of the IMT's efforts. Although the hurricane caused about $10,000 in damages to San Juan, mostly to trees and trails, the area is open. [Kent Cave, IO, IMT]
Relief efforts continue for 70 National Park Service employees and their families. Water, additional generators, and other supplies (over 500 pounds on Wednesday) are being flown to St. Thomas and St. John. Commercial power has been restored at the Cruz Bay visitor center and maintenance area on St. John, and a 125-amp generator is providing power to five employee residences. Contact has been made with several National Biological Service employees on St. John who have requested assistance from the incident management team (IMT). The IC, operations chief and superintendent of Virgin Islands flew to St. Croix yesterday - the first visit since the hurricane hit last Saturday. Although the NPS facilities on St. Croix were apparently far less damaged in the storm than those on St. Thomas or St. John, the parks there (Christiansted, Buck Island Reef and Salt River Bay) have not yet been evaluated by the IMT and power has not been restored. Other tasks scheduled for yesterday included emergency roofing repairs and an initial structure condition assessment. A critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) team is scheduled to arrive this coming weekend. A helicopter dedicated to the IMT was to have arrived late yesterday; a helibase and staging area has been established in the San Cristobal outworks at San Juan. Meanwhile, Eastern National Park and Monument Association (ENP&MA) has established a reserve account for Hurricane Marilyn relief donations. Individuals and non-ENP&MA parks may contribute to this fund by sending a check payable to ENP&MA and marked "Hurricane Marilyn Relief" to Eastern National (Attention: George Minnucci), 446 North Lane, Conshohocken, PA 19428. Eastern National parks wishing to make donations from their percentage donation accounts may do so by notifying George Minnucci by memo or fax. Eastern National has already sent $15,000 for immediate relief. Other donations will be wire transferred to their sectional office in San Juan and made available to Virgin Islands employees as quickly as possible. [Kent Cave, IO, IMT; John Beck, SEFO]
A Bell 206 helicopter on contract to the IMT from Hill Aviation went down in the water about a mile north of the island of Culebra between Puerto Rico and St. Thomas around 8 a.m. on September 22nd. On board were ops chief Daryl Rhodes (Everglades), logistics chief Mel Sanchez (USFS), and electrical engineer Steve Sherwood (SEFAO). They were in the water for about an hour before being rescued by a private boat and taken to Culebra. The three men were flown to Centro Medico Hospital in San Juan, where they were treated for bumps and bruises and X-rayed. According to the hospital's chief orthopedic surgeon, one of Rhodes' lumbar vertebrae was fractured and another was crushed. He was subsequently flown to Lee Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida, for further evaluation. The neurosurgeon who evaluated him does not believe surgery will be necessary. The cause of the crash is unknown, but may have stemmed from a tail rotor malfunction; team members said the helicopter began spinning before impact. OAS is investigating. The team's mission at the time was to assess electrical generator needs for both short and long-term power supply on the Virgin Islands. The accident temporarily curtailed the delivery of supplies to the islands, but relief funds have been distributed on both St. Thomas and St. John. Barge shipments have since begun to St. John, and air deliveries are being made to St. Croix. The ops section is focusing most of its attention on installing, wiring and maintaining generators, and on making roof repairs on St. John. The Department of Interior has asked that the employees and facilities of DOI's inspector general and insular affairs offices be placed under the care of the IMT. At present, there are 45 NPS, five Forest Service, five Fish and Wildlife Service, one BLM, one OAS, and two other people deployed in the recovery effort. Jack Piepenbring (Great Smokies) has replaced Rhodes on the IMT. [Kent Cave, IO, IMT]
Southeast Field Area director Bob Baker and Gulf Coast SSO superintendent Paul Hartwig visited St. John yesterday and met with the park's superintendent. They also toured hurricane-damaged areas and talked with park staff. A food distribution center is now operating out of the headquarters building on St. Thomas. Commercial power is being restored to some areas of St. Croix. The team is taking care of the needs of personnel from DOI's inspector general's office. Steve Sherwood and Mel Sanchez, victims of last Friday's helicopter crash, were released from the hospital late on Monday and flown home yesterday; Daryl Rhodes is undergoing therapy for his injured back at Lee Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida. Money from ENP&MA's relief fund was distributed on St. Croix yesterday; not all employees have yet received funds, though, so additional trips will be made to St. John and St. Croix. Virgin Islands Group employees have been actively involved in every phase of the recovery effort. Even though they've lost much of their own property, they've been tirelessly working to restore power and clean up both the parks and their communities. The IMT salutes them for their willingness to lay aside some personal concerns in order to work for reclamation of the parks and the welfare of fellow employees. (Note: The IMT is serving as a clearinghouse for messages to and from NPS employees on the Virgin Islands. You can send them via cc:Mail to "Hurricane Marilyn IMT" or by phone to 809-729-6653/6777/6960. General expressions of support and good will are welcome and will be passed along). [Kent Cave, IO, IMT]
Southeast Field Area director Bob Baker and Gulf Coast SSO desk officer Paul Hartwig visited St. John and St. Croix yesterday. They plan to fly back to Atlanta today after meeting with staff at San Juan. A van is being barged to St. John with electrical supplies, food, and a 200 HP boat motor. About 500 pounds of food was airlifted to St. John yesterday. The operations staff undertook a number of activities yesterday, including pumping of sewage from the local clinic's tank, provision of diesel fuel for the same facility, restoration of phone and fax service to the maintenance area on St. John, repairs to the park radio system, and repairs to employee housing roofs. A SEFA assessment team is due to arrive on Monday to investigate structural damage to parks hit by Hurricane Marilyn. Eastern National Park and Monument Association (ENP&MA) has established a reserve account for Hurricane Marilyn relief donations. Individuals and non-ENP&MA parks may contribute to this fund by sending a check payable to ENP&MA and marked "Hurricane Marilyn Relief" to Eastern National (Attention: George Minnucci), 446 North Lane, Conshohocken, PA 19428. Eastern National parks wishing to make donations from their percentage donation accounts may do so by notifying George Minnucci by memo or fax. [Kent Cave, IO, IMT; John Beck, SEFO]
Daryl Rhodes, IMT ops chief, is recovering from the injuries he sustained in the crash of the contract helicopter during hurricane relief operations on September 22nd. His neurosurgeon says that he should fully recover, and that his injuries should have no long-term effects. Doctors expect to release him from the hospital tomorrow. Daryl sends his sincere thanks for all the support he's received from friends throughout the Service. Cards and letters may be sent to 1770 54th Terrace S.W., Naples, FL 33999. [Reed Detring, CR, EVER]
Telephone service has been reestablished at Virgin Island park headquarters at Red Hook on St. Thomas. Over the weekend, five tons of supplies - including five generators, medical supplies and repair parts - were shipped to St. John on six flights. A major cargo flight with drinking water and other supplies is scheduled for St. Croix for today. NPS assistance centers remain open on St. Thomas and St. John. Crews are working on roofs, and more carpenters and laborers are arriving daily from San Juan. The visitor center at Cruz Bay on St. John has reopened, as has the underwater trail at Buck Island Reef. Other visitor use facilities on St. Croix remain closed, including Buck Island itself, the beaches, the pier, and the fort at Christiansted. Members of the Southeast Field Area assessment team are scheduled to arrive today to look at structural damage. [Kent Cave, IO, IMT]
Six generators were installed yesterday, and the visitor center roof at Cruz Bay on St. John was temporarily repaired. Christiansted employees are now back to work, and Christiansvaern fort may open to visitors soon. A ton of supplies was sent to St. Croix yesterday. All NPS employees in the Virgin Islands have now received an initial $200 from the Eastern National Hurricane Marilyn Relief Fund. Additional funds will be distributed based on need. ENP&MA reports that individual and park donations are beginning to flow into the fund. The current IMT will be departing on Friday and will be replaced by a new team under IC Bob Panko (Everglades). [Kent Cave, IO, IMT]
A ton and a half of supplies and materials was shipped to the islands yesterday. Two roofs were repaired on buildings at the sewage treatment plant on St. John. Water at park beaches on St. John has been tested and found to be within accepted coliform levels. Not all are open, however, due to the accumulation of debris from the storm. The IMT received nearly 140 cards, letters and messages of support from 4th and 5th grade classes at Islands Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia, and will bring them to a meeting with park employees today. The IMT anticipates that there will be some future resource requests for maintenance specialists, but no need for large crews of carpenters and laborers. The latter are being hired locally, so there will be no demands on parks for such assistance. [Kent Cave, IO, IMT]
As hurricane recovery operations wind down, the IMT is beginning the process of reducing incident personnel, primarily in overhead support. The number of incident personnel dropped from 77 on Sunday to 64 yesterday. Materials are also being released, and the finance section is initiating contracts for long- term servicing of the 50-plus generators powering government houses and buildings on St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix. Three contractors are making progress removing storm debris at several park locations; two other contract requests are pending. Many areas are still closed because of facility and utility damage and restoration work currently underway. Fallen trees and debris still litter many trails and roadsides. The Cruz Bay visitor center is open, but all park programs have been suspended until the end of the month. Beaches at Hawksnest, Maho, Leinster and Francis Bay are clear of debris and open to the public. Park concessioners have not yet resumed business. The private campground at Maho Bay will open by mid-November; the park's campground at Cinnamon Bay will open in January. The ferry service from park headquarters at Red Hook on St. Thomas to St. John is running and on schedule. The Hurricane Marilyn IMT will be on line on American On Line at 9 p.m. EDT tonight. [Nancy Gray, IO, IMT]
Incident commander Bob Panko met with 40 park employees on St. John's yesterday to talk about the team's objectives, accomplishments and the closeout process and to determine if employees had any issues that needed resolution. Employees expressed satisfaction with progress made to date and had no further requests for assistance, although a number have personal problems that still have to be resolved. An inspection of areas affected by the hurricane followed. Much progress has been made by the contractors who are cleaning up beaches and road sides. A few clean-up contracts are still pending. Work on the Cinnamon Bay museum roof should be finished by Saturday. [Nancy Gray, IO, IMT]
The incident management team closed out operations with the staff at Virgin Islands on Monday. All incident documents were transferred to the park except for a few pending financial documents. A closeout with the staff at San Juan will be held today. Preliminary resource assessments have been completed. They show severe effects to some coral reef areas from strong currents, heavy surf and boat groundings. Fish populations have declined, and some endangered hawksbill, leather back and green sea turtle nesting sites were destroyed. Archeological areas suffered damage from both beach erosion and tree falls; some historic sites have been damaged by water. For the most part, visitor facilities and areas are back on line: * Virgin Islands - Most of the beaches and roads are cleared, but no camping facilities or concession operations are yet open. Trunk Bay is closed to visitation and to cruise ships until the end of the month. The Cruz Bay visitor center is open, but all park programs have been suspended until the end of the month. The concession-operated campground at Cinnamon Bay will probably reopen in January. The one private campground at Maho Bay should reopen early next month. Most park roads and trails are open, as are all north shore beaches (except Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay) and south shore beaches (except Lamesure Bay). The beaches have changed dramatically, though - some that were once very narrow are now wide, some which had gentle sloping contours are now heavily eroded at the vegetation line. Boat moorings have been checked and repaired. The Hyatt Regency and Caneel Bay resort complexes remain closed and will probably not reopen until, respectively, late 1995 and spring 1996. [Nancy Gray, Information Officer, IMT]
The incident management team closed out operations with the staff at Virgin Islands on Monday. All incident documents were transferred to the park except for a few pending financial documents. A closeout with the staff at San Juan will be held today. Preliminary resource assessments have been completed. They show severe effects to some coral reef areas from strong currents, heavy surf and boat groundings. Fish populations have declined, and some endangered hawksbill, leather back and green sea turtle nesting sites were destroyed. Archeological areas suffered damage from both beach erosion and tree falls; some historic sites have been damaged by water. For the most part, visitor facilities and areas are back on line: [Nancy Gray, Information Officer, IMT]
On March 7th, ranger Elmo Rabsatt came upon several Chinese nationals walking on a road at the east end of St. John. That section of the island has been used to drop off other Chinese nationals in the past, including a total of about 60 people in 1995. Rabsatt eventually contacted 17 Chinese nationals and turned them over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. [CRO, VIIS]
A couple from Maryland was robbed at gun point while hiking on the Lind Point trail early on the afternoon of June 28th. They were able to provide an accurate description of the suspect, but rangers and local police were unable to find him on the trail or beach. Rangers saw a man fitting the description coming down the trail near the visitor center about two hours later. When ranger Elmo Rabsatt approached him, the man ran, but Rabsatt was able to cut him off and apprehend him. The suspect was subsequently identified as T.J. He had a bag with him which contained a Ruger .357 magnum, one bullet, and a black t-shirt matching the one described by the victims of the robbery. T.J. is believed to have committed another armed robbery in the same area on June 5th. He is under arrest and awaiting a hearing on July 3rd. [Schuler Brown, VIIS]
Preparations are underway in several NPS areas for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Bertha: o Virgin Islands - Park areas on all three islands have been closed since noon yesterday, and staff have been very active in preparing facilities for the hurricane. [Francis Peltier, VIIS; Mark Hardgrove, SAJU]
Some early reports have been received of the hurricane's impacts on Virgin Island and Puerto Rico parks, along with notifications regarding preparations underway on the mainland: o Virgin Islands - Hurricane Bertha passed over St. John around 1:30 p.m. yesterday. Winds blew in excess of 85 mph and four to five inches of rain fell. Some trees and power lines fell, and there was some minor damage to park houses on Lind Point. It appears, however, that all employees and their families are okay. Damage assessments will be conducted today. Power and telephones are in service on St. Croix; telephones are working on St. John, but power is out and will probably remain out for a few days. [Mark Woods, VIIS; Mark Hardrove, SAJU; Steve Smith, SEFDO; Gary Bremen, PIO, BISC; Roberta D'Amico, IO, EVER; Bill DeHart, CR, CANA]
Parks from Florida to North Carolina accelerated preparations for Hurricane Bertha yesterday, with the anticipation of at least tropical storm level winds along the Florida coast and hurricane winds at more northerly locations. A follow-up report has also been received from the Virgin Islands. Please note that reports were received at different times. The balance were submitted late yesterday before the hurricane's shift to a more northerly course: o Virgin Islands - A preliminary assessment of all park areas was completed late on July 9th. All roads were open as of noon on the 10th, and park facilities were reopening. All guests to the campground at Cinnamon Bay returned from local hurricane shelters. All park personnel have been contacted; while many had damage to their property, all were doing well. Many areas of the park are without power and operating on generators, where available. The park staff is focusing its efforts on removing debris, clearing trails, opening buildings and generally returning to normal operations. The park is working closely with local agencies. A more comprehensive assessment is underway and should be completed by week's end. [Kent Cave, CR, FOPU; Bob Panko, IC, EVER; Bill DeHart, IC/CR, CANA; Wendell Simpson, Superintendent, CANA; Ray Morris, CI&RM, FOFR; Gary Bremen, PIO, BISC; John Tucker, FOSU; Mark Woods, VIIS; Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA; Chuck Harris, CR, CALO; C. Dale, CR/IC, CASA/FOMA; Suzanne Lewis, FOCA/TIMU; CRO, CUIS; Steve Smith, SEFDO]
An object was dropped from an aircraft as it flew over waters between Jost Van Dyke and Tortola islands in the British Virgin Islands, about a mile and a half from the park's boundary, on the morning of August 11th. The United States Coast Guard and British Customs asked rangers to assist in recovering the contraband and did so. About 32 bails of marijuana were retrieved. [Elmo Rabsatt, Acting CR, VIIS]
Hurricane Hortense continues its slow motion west through the Caribbean, bringing wind and heavy rains to park areas: o Virgin Islands - St. Croix reported very strong winds yesterday morning; St. Thomas and St.John reported both strong winds and heavy rain. All park areas are closed, as are Virgin Islands government agencies and schools. [Mark Hardgrove, SAJU; Mark Woods, VIIS]
National Park Service areas in the Caribbean were buffeted by the hurricane yesterday and Monday, but appear to have weathered it with few problems: o Virgin Islands - The hurricane came closer to the Virgin Islands than expected and brought strong winds and up to a foot of rain to the area. Facilities on all four islands reportedly weathered the storm with little or no damage, but some residences had water in them due to blowing rain. There was some flooding on St. John, more on St. Thomas. The telephone system on St. John is working but is out on St. Thomas. The park was closed yesterday, but may reopen today. All employees are okay. [Ping Crawford, Superintendent, SAJU; Mark Woods, Assistant Superintendent, VIIS; Steve Smith, ACSO]
Caribbean parks continue to recover from extraordinarily high levels of rain dropped by the hurricane: o Virgin Islands - All four park units are open. It's been determined that more than ten inches of rain fell on the area. Damage is minimal. The park's staff is in the process of cleaning up areas, clearing roads, and restoring visitor services. The final assessment for Buck Island began yesterday. All utilities and services have been restored. [Ping Crawford, Superintendent, SAJU; Mark Woods, Assistant Superintendent, VIIS; Steve Smith, ACSO]
During the morning of November 21st, just over three inches of rain fell on the park. Due to a wet summer and the over six inches of rain that had already fallen on the park this month, soils on the island were saturated and rain ran off the hillsides into drainages. This caused extensive flooding on Northshore Road, the main highway into the park. The road was closed for about two hours during the storm, and one lane remained closed for most of the day due to mud and rock slides. Since more rain was forecast, the superintendent decided to close the park around 9 a.m. Caneel Bay, the only resort opened within the park on St. John, received minor flood damage, and about a third of the concession-operated campground in Cinnamon Bay was also flooded. Campers in the low areas were evacuated to campsites on higher ground. The campground was still flooded at the time of the report on Friday morning, but all roads and beaches were open. [Randy Follet, VIIS]
The park commemorated its fortieth anniversary (December 1st) through a series of events last weekend. These events concluded with a ceremony on Sunday, a barbecue after the program which was sponsored by the park's friend group and attended by over 200 island residents, and the cancellation of a commemorative stamp issued by the Postal Service. A local third grade student won the park-sponsored art competition to design the stamp. Speaking at the ceremony were NCFA field director and past superintendent Bob Stanton, superintendent Francis Peltier, acting SEFA director Jerry Belson, and Henry Diamond, representing Laurance Rockefeller. [Chuck Weikert, CI, VIIS]
Rangers and Virgin Islands police officers responded to a report of a body on Salomon Beach on January 15th. The victim, a 41-year-old male, was lying on the ocean floor about 12 to 15 feet below the surface of the water. The death is being ruled a drowning. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor. A joint investigation is underway. [Troy Williams, Acting CR, VIIS]
On the morning of April 19th, the park received a call of a possible heart attack victim at Honeymoon Beach. The responding ranger and Coast Guard patrol personnel provided CPR, but were unable to revive the 57-year-old man, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Further investigation revealed that he head been snorkeling with a group from a charter boat. People on the beach saw him floating in the area with other snorkelers; after a while, several visitors felt that something was not right and decided to swim out and check him. They discovered that he did not have a pulse and pulled him ashore and began CPR. The victim's wife said that he had never had any heart problems, that he was a veteran firefighter with 27 years' experience, and that he was a strong and good swimmer. He was a diabetic, however, and had just recovered from the flu. [Schuler Brown, CR, VIIS, 4/21]
On May 1st, ranger Troy Williams investigated a report of the theft of a credit card from a visitor at the Cinnamon Bay campground. Information obtained from the credit card company showed about $1,100 worth of purchases at three different stores in Cruz Bay on April 30th. The sales clerks at each location accepted the credit card purchases even though the card's possessor could not provide any identification. One of the businesses was a jewelry store, however, and their surveillance camera had taped the suspect making two separate credit card purchases at the store. Williams was given the videotape; he ran it for the assistant manager at the campground, who identified the woman as one L.S., a seasonal employee for the campground who works there as a cashier. L.S. was arrested for theft (18 USC 661) and credit card fraud (18 USC 1029). She was placed on $10,000 bond and released to her father, who is a corporal in the Virgin Islands police department. [CRO, VIIS, 5/3]
Over the past four days, rangers have assisted Virgin Islands police officers with recovery of three bodies in areas of St. John near the park. The first victim was recovered from the waters of Great Cruz Bay, the second from a homemade vessel in Coral Bay, and the third from a vessel in Cruz Bay. The causes of death have not been determined, but heroin overdoses are suspected from recovered evidence. [CRO, VIIS, 12/4]
Staff in national parks in the Caribbean spent the weekend preparing for Hurricane Georges. As of early this morning, the Category II hurricane's highest sustained winds were around 110 mph and it was 60 miles south- southeast of St. Croix. Landfall in the Virgin Islands was forecast for this morning, and it was expected to strike Puerto Rico this afternoon: o Virgin Islands NP (VI) - A state of emergency has been declared for the Virgin Islands. Preparations at the park have been completed: areas are secured and shuttered; boats are trailered; files are covered; shelters are stocked and activated. The strength and track of the storm indicate that an incident management team will likely be needed. Southeast Region has accordingly placed a Type 2 team (Gordon Wissinger, IC) on standby. The National Weather Service predicts that Georges will become a Category III storm shortly and that its probable track over the next 72 hours will take it anywhere from south of Cuba to southern Florida. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 9/19-21; Mark Hardgrove, SAJU, 9/19-20; Mary Collier, VIIS, 9/20]
Hurricane Georges passed over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico yesterday and is now bearing north-northwest at about 15 mph toward the southern tip of Florida. As of this morning, it was 620 miles southeast of Miami, with winds down to 75 mph due to its passage over Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The highest probability area for landfall on the U.S. mainland on Friday morning stretches from Miami west to the Keys. A hurricane watch for that area has been issued. Some strengthening is expected when Georges again passes over warm ocean waters. The following reports were received yesterday: o Virgin Islands NP (VI) - Contact has not yet been made with park staff in St. John, which has lost both phones and power. The satellite telephone connection is also down. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 9/22; Ben Morgan, EVER, 9/22; Rob Shanks, PIO, IMT, BISC, 9/22; Larry Belles, IC, BICY, 9/22]
Hurricane George continues to bear down on southern Florida, with landfall expected as early as tomorrow morning. The storm had winds of 75 mph this morning, but is expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours. It is about 400 miles southeast of Miami and moving west-northwest at 12 mph. Hurricane warnings extend from Fort Myers on the Gulf coast around the tip of Florida to Fort Lauderdale on the Atlantic coast. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for the Keys; voluntary evacuations for Key Biscayne and Miami Beach. Today's updates from affected parks: o Virgin Islands NP (VI)/San Juan NHP (PR) - The parks received less structural damage than expected. The hurricane inflicted serious damage to the island of Puerto Rico, however. Power poles were snapped off by strong winds, and it's expected that power will be out for some time. Trees are down everywhere, blocking many roads. The two Eastern NPS incident management teams staged in Atlanta will not be needed in either park. One team was demobilized yesterday; the other will stay on standby until the hurricane passes. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 9/23; Bob Panko, IC, EVER, 9/23; Larry Belles, BICY, 9/23; Rob Shanks, BICY, 9/23]
Hurricane Georges was 50 miles southeast of Key West this morning and expected to make landfall in the keys by mid-day. Highest sustained winds are around 100 mph. The current forecast is for the hurricane to reach the main coastline between Florida and Louisiana this weekend. It will likely be a Category III storm by that time: o Virgin Islands NP (VI)/San Juan NHS (PR) - Although damage to park property in the Caribbean was not severe, all NPS employees in Puerto Rico and some in the Virgin Islands suffered significant losses to personal property. At least three San Juan employees lost their homes from a storm that the San Juan Star called "the biggest and most destructive hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in 70 years." Eastern National has set up a donation account to assist those employees. Anyone wishing to donate to the special hurricane account should send a check with a note on it saying that it's for "Hurricane Georges" to Eastern National, 470 Maryland Drive, Suite 1, Fort Washington, PA 19034. The money will be distributed quickly to employees in need. You can also make a contribution through the Combined Federal Campaign. An organization called the Federal Employees Education and Assistance Fund provides up to $600 in a combination of loans and grants to federal employees suffering from a natural disaster or unforeseen emergency (such as the Oklahoma City bombing). The fund is listed among the charities in the Combined Federal Campaign (pledge number 2808), so you can earmark a direct donation. For more information on the fund, call 1-800-323-4140. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 9/23; Brian Loadholtz, CR/Acting Superintendent, DESO, 9/24; Maureen McGee-Ballinger, IO, EVER, 9/24; SEFA Public Affairs, 9/25]
San Juan NHS and Virgin Islands NP implemented their hurricane plans and closed down on the evening of October 19th in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Jose. High winds and rain struck both areas, but little damage has so far been reported. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 10/21; Judy Shafer, VIIS, 10/21; Paul Hartwig, SAJU, 10/21]
Staff at San Juan NHS, Virgin Islands NP and Christiansted NHS completed preparations for Hurricane Lenny yesterday. All three areas are closed and employees have been released. The hurricane should pass over St. Croix with winds ranging from 115 to 130 mph. San Juan will likely have winds in the 45 to 50 mph range. Heavy rains are also expected. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 11/6-17)
Christiansted NHS on St. Croix Island was struck hard by the hurricane yesterday. Staff reported sustained winds of 120 mph with gusts of 150 mph late yesterday afternoon. No damage was yet evident, but anecdotal reports from relatives of employees living elsewhere on the island suggest that it will be significant. Power was out, but phones were still working. Virgin Islands NP on St. Thomas and St. John Islands reported gale force winds and rain. Both parks were planning damage assessments for this morning, but they have been postponed because the hurricane has essentially stalled over the area. San Juan NHP in Puerto Rico reopened this morning except for upper sections of fort walls, which remain hazardous to visitors due to continuing high winds. Most employees have returned to work. No damage is reported. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 11/18]
Twenty-five illegal immigrants landed on a beach at Cinnamon Bay campground on St. John on the morning of March 27th. Their open, 26-foot wooden boat, powered by twin outboard motors, was swamped and up on the beach. Rangers removed the vessel; 11 members of the party, all from Haiti and Asia, were turned over to INS by local police. Rangers and police also searched the east end of the island for another 15 illegal immigrants who had also arrived on a park beach. Three were apprehended and turned over to INS. The park has experienced an influx of illegal immigrants from Asia and the Caribbean islands, all attempting to enter the United States. [Laurelly Richards, VIIS, 4/6]
Protection rangers recently completed an investigation into a series of burglaries in the park and arrested M.J.H. of Alexandria, Virginia. Subsequent NCIC checks on M.J.H. revealed warrants out against him for armed carjacking and robbery from the U.S. mainland. Federal marshals and FBI agents, with assistance from park personnel, expanded the investigation on M.J.H., an effort that resulted in his indictment on three counts of armed bank robbery in the Virgin Islands. More indictments are also pending. [Laurelly Richards, VIIS, 4/11]
F.M., 40, of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, was snorkeling in the area of Watermelon Cay on St. John around noon on June 26th when he went under. Friends pulled him to shore and immediately began CPR, with other visitors providing assistance. Rangers Dan Jenner and Troy Williams transported F.M. by patrol boat to Leinster Bay trailhead, where EMS units were waiting. CPR was continued to St. John Clinic, where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of the drowning. [Schuler Brown, CR, VIIS, 6/27]
A hurricane watch has been issued for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and several other Caribbean islands as Tropical Storm Debby continues to move westward and gain strength. Virgin Islands NP has buttoned down and is prepared for the storm's arrival. Southeast Regional Office is also checking with regional all-risk teams to determine their availability, just in case. The National Hurricane Center will likely upgrade some of these watches to warnings later today. As of 8 a.m. EDT, Debby was centered about 400 miles east of the Leeward Islands, racing toward the west-northwest at 20 mph. Top sustained winds were 50 mph, with further strengthening forecast for today. Debby is expected to reach hurricane intensity (winds of 74 mph) by tomorrow afternoon. The track is still uncertain, but it may pass very close to Puerto Rico. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 8/21; The Weather Channel, 8/21]
Hurricane Debby is closing in on the northern Leeward Islands this morning. Hurricane warnings remain in effect from Guadaloupe northward to Puerto Rico. The projected path of the storm takes it over the Leeward Islands this morning, then on to Puerto Rico by late today and early tomorrow. Caribbean parks have made necessary preparations for the arrival of the hurricane: o Virgin Islands NP (VI) - The park completed hurricane preparations yesterday morning. Non-essential employees were released at 11:30 a.m. and normal park operations were suspended a half hour later. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 8/21; Judy Shafer, Deputy Superintendent, VIIS, 8/21; Joel Tutein, Superintendent, CHRI, 8/21; Mark Hardgrove, SAJU, 8/21]
Hurricane Debby has largely dissipated and no longer presents a threat to any NPS areas. Reports have been received from several areas on impacts, preparations, and resumption of normal operations: o Virgin Islands NP (VI) - The park is conducting a damage assessment, but the initial review suggests that the hurricane's impact has been limited to additional slumping in one road cut. The visitor center opened again on Wednesday. Safety inspections and debris cleanup along roadways were in progress at the time of the report on Wednesday morning. The park expected to be back in normal operations by Thursday. FEMA asked the park for assistance in conducting damage assessments in St. John. Those were completed and the information was submitted on Wednesday morning. [Judy Shafer, VIIS, 8/23; Paul Hartwig, SAJU, 8/23; Larry Belles, IC, BICY, 8/23-24; Toni Dufficy, IO, BISC, 8/23-24; Bob Panko, EVER, 8/23-24]
On the morning of November 28th, 19 Chinese nationals illegally entered the Virgin Islands on the eastern section of St. John. Rangers and local police detained them and transported the four women and 15 men via bus to Cruz Bay. They were eventually turned over to INS. INS officers took them to St. Thomas, where they will appear in district court. It's alleged that they were smuggled in from the nearby island of St. Martin in the Dutch West Indies. [Schuler Brown, CR, VIIS, 11/30]
On the morning of November 21st, rangers eradicated 1,071 marijuana plants from the L'Esperance area on St. John. Members of a Virgin Islands drug task force assisted in the operation. The field was found in a heavily wooded area of the park. The growers had set up a campsite and used water from a nearby stream to irrigate their crop. The tent and tools were confiscated and several water containers were destroyed. No one was arrested, but suspects have been identified in the local community. [Schuler Brown, CR, VIIS, 11/22]
On the morning of July 27th, twenty Chinese nationals entered the territory illegally through the park. An investigation by ranger John Wilkins revealed that the four women and sixteen men were dropped off by boat in the Leinster Bay area on St. John. The group was intercepted and detained near Maho Bay by rangers and two local police officers. They were found traveling on a roadway at a point about four miles from where they'd been dropped off. They were searched, transported to the Cruz Bay police station, then turned over to the INS. They had evidently traveled to St. John from the nearby island of St. Martin during the early morning hours. [Schuler Brown, CR, VIIS, 7/27]
Nine illegal immigrants were arrested by rangers and Virgin Islands police on St. John on the morning of October 13th. They came ashore at Mary Creek, where they abandoned their 28-foot wooden boat, which was outfitted with twin 200 hp Johnson engines. Rangers seized the boat. The six men and three women were turned over to INS for processing. They were smuggled to St. John from the nearby Dutch island of St. Martin. All are Haitian nationals. Smugglers constantly use the park to drop off their passengers due to easy access to beaches. [Schuler Brown, CR, VIIS, 10/17]
On the morning of October 22nd, 48 illegal Chinese immigrants were arrested by rangers and Virgin Islands police. The immigrants were picked up from a rocky shoreline east of Brown Bay on St John. The 35 men and 13 women were stranded in the remote area without food for several days. Some had puncture wounds on the soles of their feet which were caused by an abundance of sea urchins . Rangers and maintenance employees used a small life raft to ferry the group from the shoreline to the park patrol boats. They were then transported by four NPS boats to St Thomas and turned over to INS for processing. [Schuler Brown, CR, VIIS, 10/23]
On March 31st, the Coast Guard Intelligence Center in San Juan contacted the park and advised that six men who appeared to be Middle Eastern in origin had been picked up by boat in the British Virgin Islands and were to be smuggled into the U.S. Virgin Islands. Rangers went to Leinster Bay on St. John, a heavily-used drop-off area for smugglers, and saw five men walking along the road. They were contacted and found to be from Cuba. The men were arrested, detained, and later transferred to INS in St. Thomas for processing. [Steve Clark, CR, VIIS, 4/3]
The passenger ferry Voyager Eagle ran hard aground on Johnson's Reef around 3:30 p.m. on April 7th. The ferry was transporting 33 passengers from Red Hook on St. Thomas to West End on Tortola when it hit the reef. No injuries were reported. The passengers were safely evacuated from the Voyager Eagle to the ferry Oriole and taken to Tortola. Initial salvage efforts were unsuccessful, so the Coast Guard halted operations until a detailed salvage plan could be developed. The ferry remained aground overnight, but was easily removed from the reef during high tide the next morning. According to the ferry's captain, who has operated ferryboats for a dozen years, a squall passed through the area as he was approaching Johnson's Reef, causing poor visibility. The reef is clearly marked with six aids to navigation, all of which were on station. There was no pollution as a result of the grounding, but there was substantial marine habitat damage. An assessment has not yet been completed because of rough water. The captain has been cited for negligence and for striking underwater resources and must appear in federal court. The park will assess the damage and seek restitution. For more information, contact ranger Troy Williams at 340-776-6201 ext. 245. [Troy Williams, VIIS, 4/10]
A 25-foot rented pleasure boat went aground on a reef just off the point of Peter Bay on the afternoon of April 27th. Ranger Al Miller arrived via patrol boat and found "Nauti Nymph #35" aground on a reef in the Windswept area, which is well marked with numerous "No Boat" buoys. The captain and passenger were uninjured and not in any immediate danger. Due to the boat's location, Miller was unable to reach it. Miller asked ranger Troy Williams for assistance. Williams approached the boat by land and waded out to it. Also arriving on scene was the owner of the rental company in another boat. They attempted to pull the Nauti Nymph off the reef with a tow line, but it broke. Williams and other people at the scene were able to turn the boat by hand and eventually push it off the reef. The captain said that they were looking at the expensive homes on the hillside and were not aware that they'd entered the area until they struck the reef. He was cited for failure to obey regulatory markers and for striking underwater features. The damage to the coral will be evaluated by resource management staff. This is the second ground in the park this month. [Al Miller, PR, VIIS, 5/1]
The 65-foot Hatteras yacht "Stray Dogs" grounded on Johnson's Reef around 1:30 a.m. on August 4th. The vessel, with nine people aboard, was returning to Red Hook on St. Thomas from a well-known floating bar at Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands. The weather was clear, with light winds and a calm sea. Captain Scott Leon said he was using the vessel's navigational equipment - the GPS chart plotter, radar and autopilot - but admitted that he was not familiar with navigating through the islands and that he was having trouble with both the autopilot and GPS chart plotter. Sobriety tests were administered to the captain and mate, both of whom failed. Leon's BAC was measured at .15, and rangers learned that he was also taking two different anti-depressants and a painkiller. He was cited for striking underwater features in the park (36 CFR 7.74(d)(1)), for operating a vessel in a reckless or negligent manner (36 CFR 3.6(a)), and for operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance (36 CFR 3.6(b)). There were no injuries. The vessel was removed from the reef by a commercial salvage company. There were no holes in the hull, but both large, seven-blade propellers were severely damaged. An inspection of the reef revealed a 195-foot-long and 18- foot-wide path in which coral had been severely damaged. The damaged coral included healthy elkhorn, fire and brain coral. The investigation continues. [Troy Williams, PR, VIIS]
Three scuba divers became stranded on the rocks at Bovocopa Point due
to rough surf conditions late on the morning of January 1. Two of them
were able to hike out and reach their inflatable dinghy, which was on
the beach at Hart Bay. They then attempted to rescue their companion,
S.E. of Rhode Island. For over five hours, they worked to
rescue him, but failed because of the large swells, strong winds and the
danger of being forced onto the rocks. Ranger Al Miller received a
request for assistance from Virgin Islands PD around 4:30 that
afternoon. Miller, ranger Regina Carrico, and two VIPD officers
responded in a park patrol boat. They made several attempts to signal
and tell him to leave his gear and accept the life jacket
that they were going to provide him. waved them off, though,
yelling that he was going to attempt to walk out with his gear. At the
same time, the rangers received a report of a visitor who'd stepped on a
sea urchin on the beach at Reef Bay a half mile away and needed to be
evacuated. Since was in no immediate danger and there was a
St. John SAR vessel on scene, they left the area and headed to Reef Bay,
but found no sign of the victim at that location. Upon returning to
Bovocopa Point, they found that had not moved from his
previous location. As darkness approached, surf and weather conditions
deteriorated. Miller maneuvered the patrol boat close to the shore and a
rescue swimmer from St. John SAR swam a rescue line through the large
swells to . He was then hauled to the rangers' boat and taken
to Cruz Bay, where his wife was waiting. Paramedics checked and released
him.
Rangers and local officers arrested 20 undocumented aliens from Haiti
on Wednesday, February 25th. Rangers transported them to Immigrants and
Customs Enforcement in St. Thomas. Due to the volatile situation in
Haiti, the park has been overwhelmed with illegal entry incidents. A
typical boat landing involves about 30 to 50 illegal aliens. Since there
are no Border Patrol officers in the U.S. Virgin Islands, border
policing around the park has been left to rangers and island police.
On the evening of February 26th, the NOAA vessel Nancy Foster
came upon a disabled 20-foot fishing boat with two people on board near
a popular local fishing area about eight miles south of St. John. The
park was asked to assist, and two rangers headed out to the area to
retrieve the fishermen and tow their boat back to St. John through five
to six-foot swells. The fishermen suffered from minor hypothermia, but
were otherwise fine.
Rangers and Virgin Islands Police Department officers arrested 17
undocumented aliens from Caribbean Nations including French Guiana, the
Dominican Republic and Haiti on the morning of Wednesday, March 17th.
Dozens more escaped apprehension by fleeing into the thick vegetation
nearby. Rangers transported the 17 arrested in an NPS vessel to St
Thomas, where custody was transferred to Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) for processing. Due to the continuing
instability in Haiti, the park and its resources continue to be impacted
by the influx of fleeing Haitians. There are usually 30 to 50
undocumented aliens in each group that arrives by boat. Without the
presence of Border Patrol agents, rangers are the only federal law
enforcement presence on the border and are therefore responsible for
apprehending these undocumented aliens.
Today's report summarizes preparations for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Ivan on the Gulf Coast and for Tropical Storm Jeanne in the Virgin Islands. Along with park preparations, the National Park Service and kindred agencies have been working behind the scenes making preparations to respond quickly where and when needed. The emergency service coordinators from Southeast, National Capital and Northeast Regions and the Eastern IMT incident commanders have been conducting daily conference calls to coordinate a possible NPS response. Rick Brown's team is on standby. Daily conference calls are also being held between and among federal agencies in the Southeast, including the Fish and Wildlife Service, BIA, Forest Service, US Geological Service and representatives from the interagency command team that is assisting FEMA. Here's the latest from the parks: Virgin Islands NP — Tropical Storm Jeanne is forecast to
hit St. Thomas and St. John Islands. The incident command team (Steve
Clark, IC) is beginning preparations for its arrival.
Parks along the Gulf Coast are battened down and waiting out Ivan's passage. The Service's Eastern IMT is on standby for callout to any park(s) needing assistance, and the national and other regional teams are on call if further help should be required. Meanwhile, reports have been received from parks further inland that are facing the prospect of very heavy rains on top of all the precipitation dropped by Hurricane Frances. And Virgin Islands NP has sent a follow-up note about Tropical Storm Jeanne: Virgin Islands NP — The park was closed yesterday due to the proximity of Tropical Storm Jeanne. The storm passed just south of St. Croix and was headed for Puerto Rico at the time of the report. Employees deemed essential reported to work to monitor the situation and respond as needed. Reports from Ken Garvin, FMO, SERO; Paul Thomas, IO, VIIS; Jim Northup, Chief Ranger, GRSM; Mark Lewis, Superintendent, HOBE; Catherine Farmer Light, Superintendent, SEMO, and Acting Superintendent, TUIN/TUAI; Phil Noblitt, PAO, BLRI; Wendell Simpson, Superintendent, NATR.
Tropical Storm Jeanne became a hurricane yesterday, and is tracking toward the Florida coast. Three reports have been received: Virgin Islands NP — The park was closed on Thursday, but expects to reopen today. The storm caused some flooding and left a lot of debris, but otherwise did not inflict any apparent significant damage. Reports from Ken Garvin, FMO, SERO; Linda Canzanelli, Superintendent, BISC.
On Friday, October 22nd, rangers received a phone call reporting that several dozen illegal immigrants had landed in the park. Rangers responded along with Virgin Islands PD and the Coast Guard. Five people were taken into custody, two of them former Haitian police officers; the others fled into thick brush. All five were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There have been dozens of such landings — usually 20 to 30 people per landing — within the park's boundaries over the past several months. Nationalities include Chinese, Haitians and other down-island countries. Last month, a woman in a group of Haitians dropped off in the park in the middle of the night gave birth to a baby boy at daybreak. The father was present for the birth and used a stick to sever the umbilical cord. Police took the baby and parents and other illegal immigrants to the police station, where medical treatment was provided. The baby was dehydrated, although the father had made several attempts to give it water via a damp rag. The NPS continues its efforts to work alongside ICE and Coast Guard
officials to curb the ever-growing smuggling of illegal immigrants into
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In the early morning hours of January 27th, an unknown number of Haitians - possibly as many as 25 - were dropped off by a vessel in the vicinity of Francis Bay. Three of them approached a nearby park residence occupied by a resource management employee and peered in through her screen. Her dog alerted her to their presence. All three left the area. On the following day, a ranger on patrol came upon a number of people in the woods near a park-maintained and heavily-visited ruin. He approached them, but they fled on foot through dense brush. The ranger found numerous bags, passports, trash and other items in the area. It appears that they had been there for a day or so and were awaiting the right time to travel into the town of Cruz Bay. Due to serious officer safety concerns (a sawed-off shotgun was recently found among the items discarded by other illegal aliens), the ranger returned to his patrol vehicle and requested backup. When the chief ranger arrived, the ranger had a pregnant woman in her 20s in custody. She was taken to park headquarters, then transported to St. Thomas and transferred to Customs and Border Protection agents. [Stephen Clark, Chief Ranger]
Parks in the Caribbean and in Florida are preparing for Tropical Storm Chris, which may soon become a hurricane: Virgin Islands NP - All vacant buildings and vacant park residences have been shuttered, but the park is continuing normal operations because the storm is well to the northeast of the park and moving away. [Jeff Brice, NPS Assistant Coordinator, SEAC; Benvenito Olivencia, Chief Ranger; Paul Thomas, Deputy IC, VIIS; Ed Clark, IC, BICY]
On the evening of August 4th, a mother and son on vacation in the park while staying in a cottage at Cinnamon Bay campground. The mother decided to go for a walk and left her son along in the cottage for 20 to 30 minutes. When she returned, she found that her 16-year-old son had hung himself from a pole at the rear of the cottage. She managed to cut him down, then, called for assistance. Visitors and EMS responders performed CPR on him, but without success. Rangers and local authorities are investigating the incident. [Eric Barron, Acting Chief Ranger]
Virgin Islands PD officers stopped a safari-style taxi on Centerline Road inside the park around 11 p.m. on June 1st and found 32 people inside, all Haitian nationals who'd been smuggled onto one of the park's southside beaches earlier that evening. They were held overnight on St. John, then transported to St. Thomas the next day by rangers and Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources officers and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for interviewing and possible deportation. ICE, VIPD and the park are following up on the investigation. A taxi operating under a commercial use agreement in the park may have been involved. Later that day, rangers investigated the probable drop area - a remote beach on Ramshead Bay - and found numerous bags of trash, piles of wet clothing, and human waste. They spent the afternoon cleaning the area and hauling out the refuse. Undocumented migrants continue to be smuggled into the U.S. via St. John, landing almost exclusively on park beaches. These incidents appear to be occurring about once every two weeks at a minimum. The smuggling activity causes aesthetic damage due to clothes and trash left behind and may also damage aquatic resources when the smuggling vessels beach and anchor. [Mark Marschall, Chief Ranger]
Hurricane Dean, which this morning is a Category Two storm with winds over 100 mph, is headed for the eastern Caribbean. Parks in that region are accordingly making preparations: Virgin Islands NP - The park has implemented ICS. Employees have been notified of storm forecasts and preliminary emergency plans are being put into effect. Preparations include shuttering of park residences and facilities. All boats are being secured, except for one that will be used for emergency purposes if necessary. The park's incident management team will meet again at 2 p.m. today to assess the storm's activity. [Jeff Brice, NPS Assistant Coordinator, Southern Area Coordination Center]
Although Hurricane Dean has become a dangerous Category 4 hurricane, it was had little effect on the three NPS Caribbean areas that were closest to its path: Virgin Islands NS - The park received little rain and wind during the storm's passage through the area. Seas reportedly never rose to dangerous levels. Park facilities and passenger ferries were set to reopen on Sunday. Lifeguards will monitor surf conditions and post warnings, if necessary. [Jeff Brice, NPS Assistant Coordinator, Southern Area Coordination Center]
Subtropical Storm Olga, which has produced near tropical storm force winds and heavy rains in its journey across the Caribbean, had little impact on the park, as the storm passed to the north of the islands. The park remains open, with all roads and facilities open. Staff were dealing with a boat grounding yesterday morning, but that was the only storm-related problem. [Mike Anderson, Regional Chief Ranger, SERO]
The park has been getting its heavy equipment, boats, structures, houses, campgrounds, beaches, partners, and visitors ready for Hurricane Omar's anticipated arrival late today. Hurricane Hole was opened to boaters on Monday and many other private boaters have pulled their vessels out of the water. The NPS has left three boats in the water and removed all others. Resource protection personnel gave final notice to any sailboats moored in the park yesterday afternoon. Park staff residing in government housing on St. John who are part of the incident management team will take government vehicles home overnight Wednesday evening, some with chainsaws, in order to help reopen park roads on Thursday morning. Staff residing on St. Thomas will stay home today, as the last public ferry ran at midnight last night. Essential staff living on St. John will keep the visitor center open, answer phones, continue to work with VITEMA (Virgin Islands' emergency management agency), and complete final preparations. The VC will be closed and essential staff released if/when conditions warrant on Wednesday. The park will be closed today. [Mark Hardgrove, Superintendent]
Hurricane Omar, a Category 3 storm with winds up to 120 mph, passed through the islands on Thursday. An initial assessment of the park revealed roads blocked by downed trees, mudslides and boulders, storm debris everywhere, washed out gravel roads and culverts, and damage to signs and trash cans. Power is out, and the generator at park headquarters has been knocked out by lightning or a power surge. Phones are also out. Ferry service will not resume until the Virgin Islands government completes a damage assessment and power and communications are restored on St. John. [Mark Hardgrove, Superintendent]
A series of thefts from backpacks at Waterlemon Beach led rangers to establish a surveillance operation there on January 23rd. They saw a man later identified as F.G. watch the beach area from a ruin with his binoculars, then walk up a path where other items had recently been stolen and take three bags from the beach while their owners snorkeled out to a reef. Rangers arrested him without incident. He cooperated with the investigating, confessing to the thefts and providing the locations of both his illegal camp and some of the stolen property. He was taken to federal court and held on bond. Rangers recovered ten backpacks and most of the stolen property. F.G. has also provided a written letter of apology to the victims for stealing their belongings. Rangers Jeff Mihan, Tom Schaff and Ludric Smith participated in the operation. Ranger Greg Johnston is case agent. [Jeff Mihan, Acting Chief Ranger]
A woman on a commercial charter vessel went snorkeling off Honeymoon Beach on the morning of June 3rd. After she'd been in the water for 10 to 15 minutes, a visitor on the beach noticed that she hadn't moved in a while and swam out to her. He discovered that she was motionless and yelled for help. The woman was pulled into the charter vessel's dinghy and brought to shore, where a registered nurse who works nearby began CPR. Rangers and St. John EMS personnel arrived shortly thereafter. Efforts to resuscitate the woman proved unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Joint investigations are being conducted by the National Park Service, Virgin Islands Police Department and the United States Coast Guard. [Jeff Mihan, Acting Chief Ranger]
Although hurricane season began late this year, it has gotten off to a quick start, with three tropical storms threatening parks from the Gulf Coast to the Caribbean. Tropical Storm Claudette is centered south of the Florida Panhandle and moving northwest; rainfall accumulations of 3 to 5 inches and isolated amounts of up to 10 inches are expected across the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, southwestern Georgia and the Big Bend region of Florida. Meanwhile, a tropical storm watch remains up for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for what was Tropical Storm Ana, since weakened to a depression, and forecasters are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Bill, expected to become a hurricane. Here's what's come in from the potentially affected parks: Virgin Islands NP - The park has activated its hurricane plan. The Coast Guard plans to close the port in St. John this morning, terminating ferry traffic between St. Thomas and St. John. [Clay Jordan, IC, GUIS; Mark Ruggiero, SERO]
Tropical Storm Claudette came ashore yesterday, bringing heavy rains but not much wind. Tropical Storm Ana has dissipated and at present has a less than 30% chance of again becoming a tropical system. Hurricane Bill is strengthening, but currently forecast to miss most land areas. Here are today's reports from parks: Virgin Islands NP - Ana passed through the area yesterday morning. At about 5 a.m., the winds kicked up and rain bands covered St. Thomas and St. John. Rains tapered off in mid-morning, but brisk winds and heavy surf continued for some time. Hurricane Hole on the east end of St. John, a natural safe harbor for boaters, will remain open all week in the event that boaters want to take early precautions for possible impacts from Bill. [Mark Hardgove, VIIS; Clay Jordan, GUIS; Larry Perez, EVER; Mark Ruggiero, SERO]
The park began preparations last week for the arrival of Hurricane Earl and yesterday put ICS into effect (Lloyd Morris, IC). The Hurrican Hole storm mooring was opened to registered boat owners, who began putting their boats on the storm moorings on Saturday (the park can accommodate over 110 large boats in this area). Park generators have been filled with fuel, vehicles fueled, supplies purchased, and other 'to do' list items completed. Resource management boats have been pulled out, tied down to trailers, and placed in the park's hurricane storage area in Cruz Bay. The park and its offices will be closed today so that people can stay at home and ride out the storm. Employees residing in park housing that the IC determines are essential will man phones, watch the weather, attend Virgin Islands emergency management meetings, and ride out the storm in their government housing units. On Tuesday, staff will report for duty. Monitoring of the next tropical system will immediately begin. [Mark Hardgrove, Superintendent]
Hurricane Earl passed over the eastern Caribbean yesterday and is at present headed toward the Carolinas. Here's a summary of reports received yesterday: Virgin Islands NP - Heavy rain and strong winds struck the park early yesterday, knocking down numerous large trees. The park remained closed, with all public buildings and park houses closed up. Hurricane shutters will remain in place until it's determined where and when Tropical Storm Fiona, following in Hurricane Earl's wake, will hit. Cleanup operations and a damage assessment will begin today. Additional updates will be posted in tomorrow's edition. [Mark Hardgrove, VIIS; Aleta Knight, SAJU; Elizabeth Centeneo, CHRI; Paul Stevens, CAHA; Mark Ruggiero, SERO]
Hurricane Earl, now a Category 4 storm, continues on its northwestward track toward the Carolinas, and parks in its projected path are in the midst of making all necessary preparations. Reports have also been received from Caribbean parks affected by the hurricane. Here's today's summary: Virgin Islands NP - Park structures appear to be intact, though some are covered by downed trees. The park is without power and under curfew. At Lind Point, satellite dishes are broken off, trees uprooted, and gutters damaged, but windows and roofs seem to be okay. There are trees down in the maintenance area, but it is accessible. The gravel roads to all visitor facilities and north shore road remain closed due to downed trees. All visitor facilities and historic sites remain closed. All park trails are blocked by downed trees. The park boats are in good shape - both the two in the water and the ones on trailers at the seaplane ramp. The park has heard from four employees on St. Thomas; they all made it through the storm okay but are without power. All of St. John is without power and generators are still operating. The park will remain closed for a few days. [Cyndy Holda and Paul Stevens, CAHA; Barry Munyan, CALO; Elizabeth Centeneo, CHRI; Mark Hardgrove, VIIS; Mark Ruggiero, SERO]
All ports in the territory were closed over the weekend due to the imminent passage of Tropical Storm Rafael. St. Thomas employees were unable to report for work on either Saturday or Sunday. Staggered closures were in effect in the park on Sunday due to the storm's approach, but the Trunk Bay and the Cruz Bay visitor centers remained open. Plans were to reopen the park yesterday if weather permitted. [Mike Anderson, Deputy Superintendent]
The park weathered Tropical Storm Rafael with no damage. The park visitor center remained open throughout the weekend. Ports that were closed on Saturday morning reopened two hours later. The park was buffeted by gusty winds and heavy downpours, but the latter fell mostly in brief showers. There were no incidents. Hot and humid weather has returned to the area, with heat indexes near 98 to 100 degrees daily. Beaches are accordingly quite busy as visitors and locals try to escape the heat. [Mike Anderson, Deputy Superintendent]
Early on Tuesday morning, the park received a report of undocumented aliens being dropped off in Haulover Bay on the island of St. John. Rangers and a special agent responded and found a 35-foot Magnum boat with three 200-horsepower motors located on the beach in Hansen Bay. They also found numerous articles of wet clothing nearby, but no people. The boat was pulled from the beach and taken to Cruz Bay, where Customs and Border Protection took possession of it. Local residents reported that the boat's captain had asked to use a phone early that morning, saying that his vessel had run out of gas. [L.R. Morris, Chief Ranger]
Hurricane Irma's long path from the Leeward Islands to the interior Southeast carried it over numerous parks. Reports are still coming in, but some early submissions are now available (below). The National Park Service's Eastern Incident Management Team has mobilized in Atlanta to begin coordination of recovery operations in the affected South Florida and Caribbean parks. The team's focus is on ensuring the safety of employees at impacted parks, organizing for the work ahead, and bringing in additional staff resources to conduct damage assessments, coordinate debris removal, and provide access to park areas. An operational branch has been established specifically for the Caribbean parks, and personnel to provide peer support for employees and damage assessments are en route. The IMT's advance team headed to South Florida on Monday afternoon; the remainder of the team will tentatively follow on Wednesday. The NPS is also coordinating closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the federal response to Irma. Here's what we currently know, sorted by area: Preliminary reports have been received from areas in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands:
Source: NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response webpage.
The Service's Eastern Incident Management Team, now in its second week of operations, is working in parks throughout South Florida, the Caribbean, and along the Atlantic coast, coordinating the bureau's response to Hurricane Irma. Immediate objectives are to support employee emergency needs, conduct damage assessments, and remove debris in the affected areas. As of yesterday, all national parks in the Caribbean remained closed in preparation for Hurricane Maria. Assessments and recovery efforts there have been put on hold until it passes. Currently, 305 NPS employees from outside the affected parks are assisting, representing 88 parks in 35 states. The safety and support of all NPS employees working in the parks is the top priority for the NPS response. As cleanup from Hurricane Irma continues, preparations are underway to relocate NPS employees and their families from St. John to Puerto Rico as Hurricane Maria approaches the U.S. Virgin Islands. Information from damage assessments and updates on the recovery efforts are listed below: Caribbean National Parks All national parks in the Caribbean are closed in preparation for Hurricane Maria. Virgin Islands National Park — The National Park Service has afforded employees and their families the opportunity to move off island in advance of Hurricane Maria, which was forecast to pass over the U.S. Virgin Islands late yesterday and today. Assessments and recovery efforts will resume once Hurricane Maria has passed. Additional closures exist throughout Southeast Region, but local park employees are handling cleanup efforts. A full list of affect parks and updates on the status of these parks can be found at http://go.nps.gov/irma. Source: NPS Incident Management Team Hurricane Irma Update for September 18th, found at the NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response website.
The Service's Eastern Incident Management Team continues to prioritize support for employee emergency needs, especially for staff in the six national parks in the Caribbean. Support staff have responded to the parks in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to help establish communications and provide critical supplies. An IMT will likely be dispatched to the Caribbean later this week, when travel conditions improve. The 110-foot MV Fort Jefferson, normally used to transport staff and supplies to Dry Tortugas National Park, has been loaded with over 24 tons of supplies and equipment for national parks in the Caribbean. The vessel departed on Monday for the 78-hour trip from Key West to the Caribbean parks. The IMT currently has 392 laborers, saw team members, arborists, heavy equipment operators and other employees on the ground in South Florida, along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean, clearing debris and working to safely reopen parks damaged by Hurricane Irma. The team is beginning its third week of operations and is composed of NPS employees from 111 national parks in 38 states. All six national parks in the Caribbean remain closed. Damage assessments and recovery efforts will resume when employee accountability and emergency needs have been addressed and completed. Source: Incident Management Team Hurricane Irma Update, Monday, September 25th
The National Park Service is working with the Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency to address the problem of damaged vessels that have been blown into Caribbean parks by recent hurricanes. NPS crews are working to obtain a count and locate owners of the displaced vessels and are also searching for and marking underwater debris that may create navigation hazards. At this time, approximately 180 vessels have been identified, with an unknown number that may be submerged. Most displaced vessels are located at St. John in the Virgin Islands. The displaced vessels pose a threat to the environment and to the public. Any vessel that may be polluting the water or beach by leaking gasoline or fuel is a priority for safe removal, as are vessels that pose hazards to navigation. Vessel owners must contact the National Park Service via email using this template or provide written information to the park directly at the incident command post located at the visitor center at St. John. The following information is needed: Vessel name and registration number; current owner name, email address, mailing address and phone number; vessel location or moored location; date of removal or plan for removal; and description of markings. Source: News release, Western Incident Management Team.
Honeymoon and Hawksnest beaches officially reopened on Monday, November 13, after recovering from the significant impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September. Both beaches required a lot of work — cutting trees, clearing access, and removing debris. At Honeymoon Beach, more than 170 cubic yards of debris were removed; at Hawksnest, another 200 cubic yards. The four commercial buoys used by boats transporting cruise ship passengers have been safety assessed and returned to their correct positions. Public mooring buoys will be assessed as soon as possible. At the National Park Service portion of Hawksnest Beach, dive teams conducted inspections for underwater debris and removed what they found. At the eastern portion of the beach, there is still debris in the water, so this area will remain closed until removal takes place. Source: News release (with photo), Virgin Islands NP.
Progress continues to be made in reopening areas impacted by this past summer's hurricanes and in restoring visitor services: Virgin Islands Parks — Christiansted National Historic Site and Buck Island Reef National Monument on the island of St. Croix and Trunk Bay Beach at Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John have reopened. In order to reopen Trunk Bay Beach, NPS staff had to stabilize numerous structures and remove fallen trees and more than 480 cubic yards of debris. Dive teams removed underwater debris from swimming areas. While these sites are open to visitors, many services and features at NPS sites across the islands remain closed or inaccessible while cleanup continues. For continued updates on the status of national park areas in the Caribbean and elsewhere that have been affected by hurricanes and severe weather, please visit http://go.nps.gov/hurricanes. Sources: News release, Big Cypress NP; news release, San Juan NHS; news release, Virgin Islands NP.
Progress continues to be made in reopening areas impacted by this past summer's hurricanes and in restoring visitor services: Virgin Islands Parks — Cinnamon Bay beach reopened to the public on Saturday, December 2nd. The concession operations at Cinnamon Bay remain closed, though, with no estimated reopening date. Cinnamon Bay beach is the fourth beach to reopen in the park, joining Hawksnest, Honeymoon, and Trunk Bay beaches. Water sport equipment rental is currently available at Honeymoon Bay and Trunk Bay beaches. Taxi service is available to Trunk and Cinnamon Bay beaches; Honeymoon is accessible by hiking trail. For continued updates on the status of national park areas in the Caribbean and elsewhere that have been affected by hurricanes and severe weather, visit http://go.nps.gov/hurricanes. Sources: News release, Big Cypress NP; news release, Virgin Island NP
Although the better part of six months have passed since several hurricanes struck the Caribbean, Southeast and Gulf Coast, parks are continuing to repair damage and restore operations: Virgin Islands National Park — All park roads, trails and beaches are now open to the public. "We've reached a major milestone at Virgin Islands National Park," said Darrell Echols, the park's acting superintendent. "Maho Bay Beach reopened last Wednesday (December 13th), we finished the rest of the beaches Thursday and Friday (December 14th and 15th), and the remaining work at Annaberg Sugar Mill was completed Friday afternoon (December 15th. We are excited to welcome visitors back to their park." All of the park's beaches have been checked for underwater debris, but visitors are advised that they should still exercise caution. Mooring buoys have been assessed and either cleared for use or had a red tag attached indicating it needs additional work. There are either working vault toilets or portable toilets available at the major beaches. Beach gear rentals are available at Honeymoon Beach and Trunk Bay Beach, but visitors will need to provide their own food and water at this time. Glass bottles are not allowed on park beaches. Sources: Everglades NP news release, Virgin Islands NP news release.
Although it's been almost a year since the passage of major hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria over many NPS units in the Southeast, parks continue to deal with related impacts: Virgin Islands NP — Cinnamon Bay Campground, the popular park campground on St. John, will not reopen for the summer season because Redwood Parks Company, which took over management of the campground in 2016, has been awaiting a settlement with its insurance company. Damage to some of the campground's facilities, as well as its most iconic historic structure, the old Danish Warehouse, has been extensive, and its uncertain when the campground will open. The beach at the Cinnamon Bay remains open, but facilities there — including a restaurant, snack wagon, snorkel rental shop, bathrooms and showers — remain closed. There are portable toilets available for public use. The forecast for this hurricane season is due out at month's end; a summary will appear in this newsletter. Source/full story: St. John Source and St. Augustine Record.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Virgin Islands NP — A trail crew is currently clearing debris from portions of Cinnamon Bay Campground to ready the popular campsite for limited use by mid-November. Although the beach at Cinnamon Bay is open, all facilities at the campground — including tents, cottages, bathrooms, a restaurant, a store, and a water sports center — have been closed since Hurricane Irma tore through the island in September 2017. Source: St. John Source.
The increasing frequency of climate-change-related severe weather closures and incidents in NPS areas has warranted the creation this intermittent Servicewide summary: Virgin Islands NP — Hurricane recovery continues here as well, this time from two storms — Hurricanes Irma and Maria — that seriously damaged the park in 2017. A new concessioner, CinnOpCo, LLC, has just been selected to run the Cinnamon Bay Campground and the food and beverage concessions at Trunk Bay. Much work still needs to be done at Cinnamon Bay. Although the camping areas, restaurant, showers, and beach rental shop remain closed, park visitors will have access to the beach and the onsite porta johns during the campground cleanup. Source: National Parks Traveler.
On April 4, two individuals were charged with making materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements, interfering with agency functions, and violating public use regulations by failing to maintain a 12-foot distance from other vessels. During a preliminary hearing for one of the individuals on May 12, the ranger who filed the affidavit that led to the charges, contradicted themself, and the federal prosecutor has moved to drop the charges. The other accused individual also intends to challenge the charges in a preliminary hearing with the same ranger. Source: The Virgin Islands Daily News July 13, 2022 Caneel Bay Resort operators EHI Acquisitions LLC and CBI Acquisitions have filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior to settle ownership over the resort. The NPS currently owns the land, while the two plaintiffs have a "retained use agreement" to own and operate the improvements upon the land until September 2023. They have announced plans to take ownership of the land, rebuild the resort, and transfer ownership to a trust for the benefit of the local community. After hurricanes in 2017 devastated the resort, the two entities offered to transfer title to the the buildings and other improvements to the U.S. government for a sum of $70 million, which was declined. As a result, the plaintiffs claim that the title to the land to the premises should revert to them. Source: The St. Thomas Source
On March 3, the U.S. Attorney's office filed a new motion to dismiss the quiet title claim to Caneel Bay Resort by EHI Acquisitions, arguing that the company has failed to prove it has ownership of the land. EHI Acquisitions filed a claim on June 30, arguing they own all rights, title, and interests to the property. The land was deeded to the NPS in 1983, with a retention of the right to operate the resort through September 2023 under a Retained Use agreement. Source: Virgin Islands Daily News
On May 11, the deputy superintendent for the park pleaded guilty to many fraud-related crimes related to housing expenses and reimbursements. The individual had been employed by the NPS since 2007. They were indicted by a grand jury in April 2021. The individual was accused of not paying rent for six months while living in government housing, directing a subordinate to reclassify their housing to "dormitory-style" for a reduced rate, receiving false relocation reimbursements for family members, and false claims for reimbursement of meals and travel expenses, a total of $46,000. The individual originally pleaded not guilty and their lawyer claimed the individual was targeted for a civil rights claim they had filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The U.S. Attorney General stated that the investigation by the Inspector General started two months before the civil rights claim. The case would have gone to trial on May 16, but the individual filed a plea agreement five days prior. The individual is likely to serve six to twelve months probation and pay several thousand dollars in fines. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Source: Virgin Islands Daily News
On July 17, 2023, a sailing vessel ran aground at Johnsons Reef, about a half-mile from the northern shore of St. John. Some Elkhorn coral, a species with special protections under the Endangered Species Act, was damaged in the event. High seas from Hurricane Lee and Hurricane Franklin broke apart the vessel on August 26, before salvage companies were able to retrieve the vessel. NPS commercial divers removed the majority of the hull in early September, and are now in the process of removing additional debris from the more shallow areas. The NPS is also developing a contract to salvage the heavy keel and engine block. Personnel from the NPS, University of Virgin Islands, and Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative were able to relocate coral. Source: Virgin Islands National Park
On April 11, a 43-year-old former deputy superintendent at the park was sentenced to nine months of home detention and four years of probation for converting property of another. They also were ordered to pay $29,502 in restitution, as well as a $6,000 fine. The individual was found to have occupied two housing units owned by the NPS without paying rent, claimed false relocation expense reimbursements, and submitted overlapping travel vouchers on four occasions (see 5/24/23 Coalition Report). Source: The Virgin Islands Consortium
On May 3, EHI Acquisitions filed a motion asking the court to alter or amend its summary judgment orders to remove the reference transferring the title of Caneel Bay Resort and its improvements to the National Park Service. On April 22, the court determined that the federal government owns the resort, based on its 1983 Retained Use Estate (RUE) agreement (see 5/1/24 Coalition Report). EHI's motion argues that the RUE did not end, as scheduled, on September 30, 2023, because their mortgage states that they may not terminate the RUE without the prior written consent of the lender. EHI also argues that due process was not honored because the issue raised in the courts was only the title to the land, not ownership of the Retained Used Estate or ownership of the improvements. The federal government argues that EHI signed documents agreeing to the expiration of the lease under the RUE and operated under them for over 15 years. (Editor Note: Caneel Bay Acquisitions, LLC (known as "CBI"), is an affiliate/"sister company" of EHI Acquisitions. Both have been involved in the financial interests, and EHI and CBI have been used interchangeably in the Coalition Report throughout the legal process.) Source: St. Thomas Source
On August 12, the parks closed in preparation for Hurricane Ernesto. At Virgin Islands National Park, staff began assessing and mitigating storm damage on August 14. They have concluded that "the clean-up process may take a little longer than estimated to restore the park fully to a pre-storm state." The Cruz Bay Visitor Center and bookstore and the Trunk Bay Fee Station reopened on August 16. Source: Christiansted National Historic Site, Virgin Islands National Park (8/12, 8/15)
On June 4, visitors observed a "floating body" Salt Pond Beach near Red Head Trail. Personnel from the NPS, St. John (VI) Rescue, and the Virgin Islands Police Department responded and found a deceased 43-year-old that likely drowned and had evidence of trauma from a marine animal (likely post-mortem). Source: Virgin Islands National Park, The Virgin Islands Daily News | |