ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo is traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands today to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Irma. The assessment tour and recovery mission comes at the request of Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp.
Hurricane Irma hit the U.S. Virgin Islands on September 6th, leaving St. Thomas and St. John heavily damaged after powerful winds at speeds greater than 150 miles per hour. Much of St. Thomas and St. John has been devastated and still remains without power as residents struggle to recover from the storm.
“New Yorkers stand with the U.S. Virgin Islands in their time of need, and it’s important to understand the full scope of the destruction in order to provide the kind of targeted assistance that will help the victims of this storm get back on their feet,” said Cuomo. “We not only have assets, but valuable experience on how to rebuild and recover following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, and we are going to help in any way we can.”
The governor had already deployed 130 members of the New York Air National Guard, along with equipment, to assist in the massive recovery effort.
