Gov. Charles W. Turnbull said Monday evening that he was continuing St. Croix's night- time curfew because half of the island remained without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Lenny, and that he was doing so despite calls from many quarters for its relaxation.
After consulting with police, Water And Power Authority and V.I. Telephone Corp. officials, he said, "I have decided to maintain the existing curfew at 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. until more power has been restored to St. Croix." While mindful of "the business community and others" calling for the lifting or relaxing of the curfew, he said, "I feel the safety of our community is of the utmost importance."
Turnbull said he would return to St. Croix on Tuesday to assess recovery operations and to meet with a delegation from Puerto Rico headed by Norma Burgos, the commonwealth's secretary of state and acting governor in the absence of Gov. Pedro Rossello. "The government of Puerto Rico has kindly offered their assistance in our recovery efforts," Turnbull said.
He said the territory "is moving swiftly to complete assessments and transmit the necessary documentation" to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In addition to his request to FEMA last week for the federal government to fund the full cost of public sector hurricane recovery, the governor said, he will request federal Interior Department funding "for beach restoration."
Also, Turnbull said, "we are working to reassure the national and international media that the reports of massive destruction and loss of lives are unfounded, and that the Virgin Islands has come through Hurricane Lenny, a Category 4 storm, in miraculously good condition."
