Cut off from the worl by the shattering impact of Hurricane Irma, Coral Bay residents were pitching in, working together to hold on.
In a Friday afternoon interview, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett told MSNBC News St.John had been “obliterated” by the storm.
Source reporter Amy Roberts lives in the Coral Bay area and was able to get a cell phone call out Friday afternoon, the first word out since the storm hit Wednesday. Reception was difficult and she was interrupted periodically by the sound of helicopters flying overhead to land nearby – but that was a good thing. The helicopters were bringing help – water, food and other desperately emergency supplies.
While the Calabash Bloom Housing Project appeared to have survived with little damage, that was not true of Coral Bay itself, where she estimated half the houses had been either destroyed or damaged.
The Coral Bay Fire Station was destroyed, and firefighters had to flee the building as it came down around them, Roberts said.
The town’s emergency shelter had been damaged and the number of people seeking haven outstripped the supplies available.
“They’re out of cots. People are sleeping on the tables,” Roberts said, calling for donations of beds and bedding.
Coral Bay restaurants 420 and Dog House have been feeding the people in the shelter, she said.
Many others have been destroyed, including local landmarks Shipwreck Landing and Pickles. Skinny Legs is damaged but reportedly still standing.
The Coral Bay fire station lost part of its roof, and the Coral Bay police substation was flooded, but was still able to provide some emergency power from its generator.
The Emmaus Morvavian Church lost its roof but is still standing. Three out of the five buildings of the Guy Benjamin School “are gone,” she added.
No one was known to have been killed in the storm Wednesday, she said, although some were injured. Roads were impassable after the storm but were reopened Friday, allowing private drivers to take some of the injured to Cruz Bay.
The shelter was being run by one Red Cross staffer and four local volunteers. As people came in, they have been “deputized” if they seemed competent and given jobs to do.
Most of the 15 police officers on hand are stationed on St. John but live on St. Thomas. Three of them, Roberts said, have learned that they lost their homes and were unable to get any information about how their families are or even where they are.
We’re waiting for news from Coral Bay friends.
My sister and her husband are okay and home intact but the island “destroyed.”
We didn’t get to talk for long so that’s all I know.
Skinny Legs Facebook page says that it was not destroyed.
There is no police station in coral bay.
Yes, article doesn’t all make sense. They must mean the Cruz Bay police station
Any word on Dana and the animals at Carolina Corral?
Hopefully they ran for high ground, but basically almost sea level there…
How is banana deck restaurant?
Good news about Skinny. I believe there is/was a police station at Coccoloba?
Not for years
There’s no police station in coral bay, restaurants 420 and dog house are 8 miles away in Cruz bay as well…..some fact checking would help, especially when people’s emotions, loved ones and property are on the line.
Completely agree. Irresponsible reporting. A reliable source told me that skinnys is standing.
Innacurate information. This needs to come off. You should be embarrassed.
Yes get some reliable reports and edit this story. You are speeding rumors. Find a real St Johnian to provide info
Spreading rumors
Wow an epidemic….Fake News!
Bill Kossler with the VI Source here. The information in the report is all first hand information from eye witnesses. Thanks for the input. With a lack of communication to the island, it does not make much sense to wait a few weeks so we can get a second eye witness to travel around the island and fact check a reporter’s personal eye witness account. We will update the story to reflect the comments.
I was on fire to find out what the mistakes were and fix them, because that is what we do. But the story does not say that the Coral Bay police station is destroyed. It says the St. John police station was flooded and the Coral Bay fire station was destroyed. I will change it to make it impossible to be confused. An anonymous poster says an unnamed “reliable source” says Skinnys is “still standing,” and what appears to be a Facebook page for the restaurant has an update that similarly cites “a witness.” I’ll make a change and check with our reporter. Our reporter- who lives on St. John, and was the eye witness- is not anonymous and is named in the story. “Anonymous” appears to be a troll, also objecting to saying St. John is destroyed, because they know someone who is not dead. That seems a little ridiculous.
Ernice- is that you?