Gov. Ken Mapp joined governors from across the country for a video teleconference Wednesday as Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator William Long and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen met with President Donald Trump and his cabinet at FEMA headquarters.
The meeting was an annual hurricane briefing. Long and Nielsen updated Trump on preparations for this year’s hurricane season and recovery efforts ongoing from last year’s storms in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida.
“It is estimated that roughly 47 million people were impacted in some way by last year’s hurricane season, mounting one of the nation’s largest disaster response and recovery efforts in the history of the nation,” Long said.
FEMA also provided an overview on evacuation zones, clearance times, decision timelines, forecast uncertainty and other topics.
In a statement from Government House, Mapp encouraged Virgin Islanders to prepare for the 2018 hurricane season that began on June 1 by assembling a disaster supply kit, creating an evacuation and communication plan, following up with FEMA and the Small Business Administration about grants and loans to harden homes and businesses, registering for Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency alerts and notifications and staying abreast of local and national news and media regarding weather forecasts and updates.
The governor was joined by VITEMA Director Mona Barnes and the federal coordinating officer of FEMA Region II, Bill Vogel.
