It is with solemn reverence that the family of Urlin Richardson announces her passing on Sunday May 4, 2025, at the age of 88. Born on April 26, 1937 to the late Roselphine Maduro-Jennings and Alexander Jennings on the beautiful island of Tortola, BVI.
Urlin Richardson
She was a dedicated employee of the U.S. Virgin Islands Human Services as head cook for over 20 years before retiring in 1993.
Urlin was survived by her daughter Audrey Lucas (Val) Sons: Pierre Richardson, Keith Richardson (preceded in death), NathanRaymond Sisters: Rhoda Morton, Albertha Sprauve (preceded in death), Elvina Garcia, Ena Rabsatt (preceded in death) Brothers: Dennis Jennings (preceded in death), Granger Jennings (preceded in death) Grand children: James Lucas,Jr Natalie Lucas, Watisha Richardson,Shenika Richardson,Jahmal Richardson, Natalia Raymond, Janika Raymond, Nathaniel Raymond, and Taitum Raymond; Special God Child: Joran Percval
She also left to mourn her beloved great children and great-great grandchild. Many nieces and nephews, too numerous to mention. To include but is not limited to the Maduro, Jennings, Pickering, Smith, Fathie and Penn Families. Our Beloved Mother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend was a compassionate, loving, devoted and caring individual who would give you her last so that you can have. She loved to cook but her passion was baking all kinds of tarts and breads from scratch.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Funeral services on Tuesday May 20 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church; viewing will begin at 9a.m., followed by the service at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Eastern Cemetery, Smith Bay.
Arrangements entrusted to Turnbull’s Funeral Home & Crematory Services.
In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.
As we have wrapped up another Carnival season (for St. Thomas), I know that there are elements of the culture and heritage in the territory that should give us a great sense of pride. In the context of loving who we are, what we have overcome, man-made and natural disasters in modern history, along with emancipation and the trials that came with slavery. I recently talked about being built for anything, that we are and can continue to be resilient, though we shouldn’t have to be constantly. We can be proud of who we are and what we represent.
However, like the conversation between arrogant and confident, a fine line exists between having pride and being prideful. We must be careful not to cross the threshold into becoming difficult to deal with, unwilling to listen, unwilling to learn, and thinking too highly of ourselves. This is not only a slippery slope but also perilous territory. Many of us have heard the phrase, “Pride comes before the fall.” History is littered with leaders and civilizations that have succumbed to their own hubris. I have seen this firsthand in my life and in the lives of others. We were, in fact, humbled and brought back “down to earth.”
A good friend of mine once told me that ego stands for “Edging God Out.” Now, we won’t get into the weeds of religion in this column, but suffice to say that whatever you believe, it is typically rooted in being humble and serving/supporting/helping your fellow humans. However, to the point of the quote, when you begin to believe solely in your own ability, skills, talents, education, etc., you unknowingly begin your descent into the valley of unnecessary struggle and catastrophe. Life, the world, the universe, karma, or whatever label you want to give it, has an interesting way of reminding us that we are all interconnected and that we all need each other.
Pride is often defined as “a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” [Oxford Dictionary]. We can see that it is a collection of things and people that give us a sense of self-respect, gratitude, and self-admiration. This is directly related to the quality and quantity of one’s self-esteem. Understanding your worth without being arrogant is a high character trait that allows you to step into spaces and connect with people willing to help you achieve your goals and dreams. Notice that it relies on the collective knowledge and experience of others as well as yourself to plot a course befitting of the destination that has been determined.
Prideful, by contrast, is quite literally being full of pride. If you are full of something, you don’t have room for anything else. Those other attributes that get dismissed are often empathy, compassion, accountability, gratitude and other positive character traits. This equates to being “full of yourself.” Being prideful is idolatry of self, putting yourself above all else. I want to draw a distinction here because some may say, “I thought we have to put ourselves first.” You all have heard me talk about not being able to pour from an empty cup and that you have to take care of yourself first in order to serve others. The difference in context is that you are putting yourself first with the explicit intention of being able to have a greater impact on those around you. The other is only being concerned with yourself and what you have to gain, often stepping on the very people we are called to help.
When you can’t see anything but your own goals, you become blinded by your own ambition. You can’t grow, evolve, or develop because you believe that you don’t need to do any of those things. Development requires mentorship, which you are unwilling to undergo. Evolution requires introspection, which you are unwilling to do. Growth requires change, which you are unwilling to become, let alone willing to endure. The unplanned consequences of this lifestyle range from isolation to becoming ostracized, to possibly being labeled as a liability. I may have quoted this once before, but it bears repeating; Ryan Dunlap once said, “You can’t burn bridges and expect people to show up with a boat.” Whatever instant gratification you obtain on the backs of others will also be temporary. Do not be your biggest obstacle. Pride in the extreme can cost you everything.
We can most certainly be proud of who we are as people, as a race, a culture, and of how far we have come. We can be proud of our spouses, children, friends, colleagues, countrymen (and women), and those who represent themselves and us well. We should congratulate ourselves and others for their accomplishments, contributions, growth, and impact. Celebrate one another because our stories are varied and powerful, and our journeys are still underway. But let us not forget that wherever we have come from, we are often one choice from returning to. That no matter how high up the mountain we have climbed, we are one misstep from stumbling back down to the valley. Let us not be delusional in believing that whatever we have accomplished was done completely on our own. Whether practical or supernatural, we have had a hand, a boost, a key, or some assistance in getting where we are.
Remember where we came from as proof that all things are possible. Also, remember that there is someone in that position currently that we can help. A reputation will crumble under the weight of a poor character.
Langley “Casual-Word” Shazor is a poet, author, publisher, entrepreneur, public speaking coach, podcast host, and pastor who is an advocate for youth and men. His goal is to enlighten, empower, and liberate those who are silenced, marginalized, and enslaved to self-destructive thoughts and behaviors. Visit thecasualword.com.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
The Virgin Islands Police Department will honor fallen officers and commemorate their service during National Police Week, observed Sunday, May 11 through Sunday, May 18, with a series of events scheduled across the territory.
“This week, we pause to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” said Police Commissioner Mario Brooks in a department news release. “Their names, stories, and legacies are etched not only into our department’s history but into the very soul of our territory. We honor them by continuing the work they started — standing firm in the face of danger, upholding justice, and caring for the community they gave everything to protect.”
Brooks expressed gratitude to the men and women of the VIPD for their courage, commitment and sacrifice.
The department is encouraging active and retired law enforcement officers, along with community members, to participate in Police Week activities, which are scheduled throughout the St. Thomas-St. John and St. Croix districts, according to the release.
In St. Thomas-St. John, the week begins Sunday with a church service at Prior Jolleck Hall at Antilles School. Other events include a basketball tournament, karaoke night, sip-and-paint session, a Peace Officers Memorial Day Parade on Thursday, and a Family Beach Day at Magens Bay on Sunday, May 18, the press release stated.
St. Croix will host its own calendar of events beginning Thursday, with a motorcade to gravesites and a Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony at Patrick Sweeney Headquarters. Activities continue through Saturday with an open house at Wilbur H. Francis Command and a community fun day at Vincent Mason Pool, the release stated.
For more information and updates, the public can visit VIPD’s website at www.vipd.vi.gov or follow the department on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour and the port of Macao have helped China claim a large share of the world’s shipping registries. A USVI shipping registry could help the United States do the same, according to a maritime expert. (Source photo by Mat Probasco)
President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could have inadvertently created ideal conditions for a reimagined U.S. Virgin Islands shipping industry, maritime insiders have said.
Creating a first-ever U.S. Virgin Islands shipping registry would allow cargo vessels and other commercial ships the assurances that come with U.S. jurisdiction but not the regulatory baggage mandated by federal codes on the mainland, said Eric Dawicki, president of the Northeast Maritime Institute.
Dawicki and others from the Center for Ocean Policy and Economics floated the plan for a USVI shipping registry — commonly known as a ship’s flag state — in late 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused upheaval in the global supply chain. In February 2022, Dawicki signed a memorandum of understanding with Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. to revitalize the U.S. maritime industry, beginning with creating an open registry in the Virgin Islands. This new flag state would allow foreign container, cruise, tanker, and other commercial vessels to register in the territory. Those ships, however, will be held to the highest safety, labor, and environmental standards, Dawicki said.
Three years later, the plan has reportedly reached the Trump White House, which threw global shipping into question by announcing steep tariffs on almost all goods arriving at U.S. ports — including up to 145 percent on Chinese merchandise.
“The rising wave of protectionist economic policies, including proposed tariffs and decoupling from adversarial supply chains, has exposed the vulnerability of America’s maritime logistics,” Dawicki told the Source Friday. “While no formal announcement was made at the time, we understood through back-channel briefings and maritime advisers aligned with administration policy that there was appetite for bold, private-sector-driven initiatives — particularly ones that bypass burdensome domestic regulatory constraints while reinforcing U.S. control and economic return. This project is bold, but is a proven successful model being driven by friends and foes around the world who have exposed maritime trade and commerce policy as substandard.”
More than 90 percent of international sea trade relies on foreign-flagged vessels, he said. A Virgin Islands shipping registry would both serve as a diplomatic tool and help the United States recapture market share.
Currently, that market is dominated by Liberia, Panama, and the Marshall Islands. These so-called flag-of-convenience states have been criticized for lax oversight that could lead to labor abuses, irresponsible environmental policies, and opaque financial reporting rules favored by criminals.
“With Panama and other registries under scrutiny for weak oversight or corruption, the time is right for a transparent, secure U.S.-affiliated option to dominate the high-value, security-sensitive shipping space,” Dawicki said. “A USVI flag offers a U.S.-controlled but globally competitive registry that isn’t handcuffed by U.S. Code of federal regulations burdens, and it allows the U.S. to project sovereignty over its fleet without stifling it with outdated frameworks.”
If coupled with a shipyard on St. Croix’s south shore, it could also entice private investors to the tune of $2.3 billion for port infrastructure to launch the project, Dawicki said. In 2022, the Center for Ocean Policy and Economics estimated 500 people would be needed to build the port and another 2,000 would be hired to work there full time. Thousands of more adjacent jobs would spring up as well, he said.
“Recent inflation and supply chain factors might adjust the initial capital expenditure marginally upward, but public-private partnership models and interest from international partners, including ship finance entities and naval architecture firms have validated the feasibility,” Dawicki said. “The USVI shipyard remains a cornerstone vision for American maritime renaissance.”
Creating a USVI registry and large shipyard in the territory would drastically change the United States’ position in the global shipping industry, he said.
“The registry can and should proceed independently as a commercial and diplomatic tool to recapture market share in global tonnage. However, the shipyard, envisioned as a sovereign U.S. facility capable of constructing, retrofitting, and maintaining both military and commercial vessels, amplifies the value proposition. Together, they create a maritime ecosystem that links policy, fleet, workforce, and industrial capacity under a single American jurisdiction, reducing foreign dependence at every level.”
The USVI is uniquely positioned, registry and shipyard supporters said, because it is both a U.S. territory and outside the customs zone. As importantly, the territory is exempt from the Jones Act and other cabotage rules that limit foreign-built and foreign-crewed ships’ activities.
The plan isn’t without its detractors, however. Mainland unions, protected by rules like the Jones Act, aren’t wild about creating an avenue for more foreign seafarers in U.S. waters, he said.
Dawicki pushed back on this, however, arguing a USVI registry would create jobs and mirror other territorial registries like those of Chinese satellites.
“It excites the global maritime industry to become part of an American-led initiative, one modeled on the proven success of the largest and most dynamic registries in the world including those now used by China through Hong Kong and Macao,” he said. “This isn’t a threat to U.S. labor — it’s an opportunity for economic expansion, job creation, and geostrategic leverage. It’s a chance to build something enduring, where U.S. values, oversight, and operational excellence anchor the flag, not political inertia.”
The U.S. Maritime Administration, the Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, and possibly the State Department would need to coordinate on how the registry would be administered, Dawicki said. It would also need congressional support, particularly from the USVI delegate, and various maritime committees “to reinforce legitimacy and signal to international stakeholders that the U.S. is serious about reclaiming leadership in global shipping,” Dawicki said.
“None of the hurdles ahead are insurmountable and in fact, they mirror the same institutional steps that were taken when Panama and Liberia emerged as dominant registries in the past and continue to rule the waves with China in a close third place using this exact system. The difference now is that America has the chance to lead again, through the USVI, on its own terms,” he said.
Some delegates meeting Saturday called per diem allocations inadequate. (Source file photo)
Budget considerations topped the agenda as members of the Sixth Constitutional Convention met Saturday on St. Thomas. The weekend meeting was the second plenary session held since convention delegates set out on the latest attempt to create a set of fundamental principles to govern the territory.
After hearing a summary of talks held April 29 among members of the convention’s executive team, delegates approved a motion to ask the Legislature for additional funding. The motion followed a discussion by Convention President Usie Richards.
Richards said members of the convention’s executive team reviewed the $150,000 appropriation passed by the 34th Legislature at a meeting held April 29. One hundred thousand of those funds were expected to be allocated to cover convention-related expenses in fiscal year 2025.
The leadership team was supposed to expand the discussion at Saturday’s session, the president said. During that discussion, members questioned proposed expenses and an $18,000 set aside to compensate delegates for their time. Members also questioned a $45,000 set aside for cash and professional services. “The 25,000 is intended to do with the professional services, as today. We have a stenographer. We have a need for some legal services, and we have some need for other professional services,” the president said.
There were also public outreach costs and miscellaneous expenses to factor in, Richards said. Convention Secretary Imani Daniel agreed that the convention faces budgetary restrictions. “We have such a tight budget?” Daniel said. “What are you anticipating? We’re holding over $2,500 for miscellaneous fees.”
Delegates Rudel Hodge and David Silverman said the per diem allocation for delegates was inadequate, given the amount of time and effort spent already. “My view is that it’s not realistic,” Silverman said.
Richards said there was no guarantee but convention officials could ask the Legislature to revisit their allotment. The discussion led to a motion and a vote to form an ad hoc budget committee.
Delegates also called on the Convention Finance Committee to revise the budget allocation to reflect actual forecast expenses and prepare requests for additional funding from the Legislature.
Former Senator Lilliana Belardo de O’Neal expressed some doubts about approaching lawmakers with spending forecasts. “How can we go to the Legislature now and ask them for more money when we haven’t expended half of what we have gotten?” Belardo said.
Virtue of the Week focuses on building peaceful and caring communities through understanding and fostering the practice of virtues. The Source supports the Virtues Project and will publish one virtue developed by the project each week.
Idealism
Idealism is having a vision of what is possible and wanting to make a difference. It is caring passionately about what is meaningful in life. We see things as they could be and have faith in the power of change. We put our principles into practice. We don’t just accept the way things are. Idealism doesn’t mean that we are idle dreamers. We do something to make things better. We make the ideal real.
Quote: “You see things and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and I say, ‘Why not?” —George Bernard Shaw
The Practice of Idealism
I have a dream.
I have a plan.
I walk my talk.
I persevere.
I have faith in the highest possible outcome.
I make a difference.
Questions for Discussion
What are the possibilities for our social justice work?
What principles do we need to put in practice to strengthen our social justice work?
What can we do to make things better in our community?
What does perseverance look like in our community?
Sign up to receive the Virtue of the Week by email!
Virtue of the Week is provided by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) in partnership with the VI Source and Virtues Matter.
About the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands
Since 1990, CFVI has been a catalyst for positive change in the territory through initiatives committed to youth, learning, family support and the environment. With a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of community leaders, CFVI is a trusted advocate and supporter of programs that ensure opportunity and sustainability for current and future generations. CFVI is a registered non-profit organization entirely supported by individual donors, grants, trusts, corporate donations and estate planning. For more information, visit cfvi.net.
About Virtues Matter
Virtues Matter was started by a passionate wife-husband team of social entrepreneurs seeking to positively uplift as many lives as possible. We aim to inspire and empower, to build capacity, strengthen relationships, and help everyone lead lives of passion and purpose.
Virtues Matter believes in a world where people are committed to kindness and respect, strive to be their best, and live with hope, courage, and in unity. We built the Virtues Cards mobile app, an interactive personal and team development tool, to help people identify and develop key virtues skills. We also offer dynamic workshops, online training, and customized programs to help people cultivate these positive qualities of character. To learn more, visit virtuesmatter.com.
Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, May 11, through Saturday, May 17. Our YouTube playlist is updated every week, AND check out Jesse’s daily weather updates here.
The V.I. Department of Health mailed nearly 500 letters to parents who received vaccine exemptions for their children. (Submitted photo)
The V.I. Department of Health mailed nearly 500 letters to parents who received vaccine exemptions for their children Friday, according to a statement released Saturday. With more than 1,000 cases documented on the mainland across 31 states, and 14 active outbreaks confirmed, local health officials urged unvaccinated families to reconsider.
More than 50 percent of Virgin Islands children under the age of 6 have not received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — dramatically higher than the mainland. More than 90 percent of children on the mainland have received the MMR vaccine by age 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
“We are very concerned about measles reaching our shores, especially as individuals and families travel to and from the U.S. Virgin Islands for summer vacation,” Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said in a written statement. “This is a critical time to take preventative action.”
Roughly 96 percent of the mainland measles cases are unvaccinated people, and 30 percent are children under the age of 5. Three measles-related deaths have been reported – two children and one adult.
The letters sent out Friday strongly encouraged families to take immediate steps to protect their children by vaccinating them against measles, mumps, and rubella, Encarnacion said.
“Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known, and unvaccinated children are at significant risk of becoming seriously ill if exposed,” Encarnacion wrote in the letter. “We are deeply concerned by the growing number of cases on the mainland and want to prevent a similar outbreak here in the Virgin Islands
The letter outlined measles infection dangers, including complications such as pneumonia, brain swelling or encephalitis, hearing loss, and even death. It emphasizes that two doses of the MMR vaccine provide 97 percent protection against measles and is considered both safe and effective by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
The three-in-one injection has been widely used since 1971.
Health officials stressed that unvaccinated individuals not only risk their own health, but also the well-being of vulnerable members of the community—such as infants under 1 year of age, individuals with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women.
“Vaccination remains the best and most reliable defense we have,” Encarnacion said. “We’re asking parents to act now, not just for their children, but for the health of the entire community.”
The territory’s health officials have been warning for many years that the Virgin Islands, with the nation’s worst vaccination rate, is at high risk for measles.
Workers in the U.S. Virgin Islands earned an average hourly wage of $24.82 in May 2024, significantly below the national average of $32.66, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The findings, part of the agency’s Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, highlight disparities in wages and employment concentrations between the territory and the rest of the United States.
Acting Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi reported that legal, management, and computer and mathematical occupations were among the highest paid in the territory, with average hourly wages of $46.21, $44.79, and $41.08, respectively. Lower-paying fields included building and grounds cleaning and maintenance at $16.51 per hour, and sales and related occupations at $17.88, according to the press release.
The OEWS data show that employment in the U.S. Virgin Islands is concentrated in a few major occupational groups. Office and administrative support roles accounted for 13.7 percent of the workforce, followed by food preparation and serving-related jobs at 12.6 percent and sales and related positions at 9.5 percent. Occupations with the lowest local employment included architecture and engineering (0.4 percent), legal (0.7 percent), and arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (0.8 percent), the press release stated.
Office and administrative support was used to illustrate the range of available occupational data. The territory had 4,660 workers in that category, earning an average hourly wage of $20.90, below the national average of $24.12. Notable occupations within this group included 660 secretaries and administrative assistants (excluding legal, medical, and executive), 580 general office clerks, and 560 first-line supervisors. Among the best-paid positions in the group were postal service clerks, earning $30.54 per hour, and postal service mail carriers at $27.98. Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks earned $14.23 per hour, while tellers earned $15.42, the release stated.
The report also provided location quotients, which measure the concentration of an occupation in a given area compared to the national average. The Virgin Islands showed significantly higher concentrations in several office and administrative support roles. Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks were employed at nearly eight times the national rate (7.96), while hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks were employed at nearly four times the U.S. average (3.91). The employment share for medical secretaries and administrative assistants matched the national rate, with a location quotient of 1.00, it said.
The OEWS survey is a joint effort between the BLS and State Workforce Agencies. In this case, data collection was conducted by the Virgin Islands Labor Department. The territory’s survey included 674 establishments and achieved a response rate of 89 percent, it said.
A graphic showing the current drought status across USVI and Puerto Rico. Both U.S. territories remain free of drought. (Photo courtesy of NIDIS/Drought Report)
Recent rainfall across the region has kept the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico free of drought, with no immediate concerns for drought development. The wet weather has also led to lifting burn bans across the U.S.V.I., except on Water Island, where restrictions remain.
An image indicating rainfall deviation from normal across Puerto Rico. While a U.S.V.I. map is unavailable, both U.S. territories have received abundant precipitation. (Photo courtesy NWS San Juan, Puerto Rico, and NIDIS/Drought Report)
Plentiful Precipitation Across the U.S.V.I. and Puerto Rico in April
Atmospheric conditions throughout April created favorable conditions for abundant rainfall. The NIDIS report provided details about the rainfall collected across the region, noting that drought conditions are unlikely to develop anytime soon.
“Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been drought-free since late April 2024 and late February 2024, respectively,” the NIDIS explained. “The onset of the early wet season brought an astonishing amount of rainfall to the territories. In just a 16-day period, areas in the mountains of Puerto Rico collected over 20 inches of rainfall, (and) the rain was so widespread that every location in the islands is currently showing a surplus in precipitation,” the NIDIS stated.
A rainbow appears over lush greenery on the northside of St. Croix on May 1, after excessive rainfall during the month of April. (Source photo by Jesse Daley)
“Rainfall amounts are well above normal in the Virgin Islands, too, based on data collected from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, which is keeping the soils wet and the vegetation healthy,” the NIDIS stated. “Charlotte Amalie Airport recorded its fourth wettest April on record with 6.37 inches, which is nearly three times its expected monthly total. The groundwater levels in the U.S. Virgin Islands improved, too. To view U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitoring well levels, visit the USGS Virgin Islands water conditions page.”
“Currently, there is no concern for any of the major water reservoirs, fire ignition, or vegetation stress,” the NIDIS noted. “However, water levels in wells in south-southeast Puerto Rico have not improved with the recent rains,” the report added.
Rainfall Impacts Across the Local Region
The report detailed the overall impacts of the heavy precipitation on both U.S. territories, noting issues such as isolated flooding, road erosion, and ponding on roadways. It also provided an in-depth look at agricultural effects, with farmers and agriculturalists reporting benefits and drawbacks. While the rain supported some crop growth, it also led to problems such as soil erosion, increased pests, and weeds.
The NIDIS reported several impacts due to excessive rainfall, including erosion, across Puerto Rico and the U.S.V.I.. (Photo courtesy Samuel Rodriguez, NIDIS/Drought Report)
The following information was shared regarding the overall effects of the rainfall:
“Puerto Rico Impacts: An extremely wet period led to flood, flash flood, and landslide impacts for a large portion of Puerto Rico. Even though the south-southeast coast of Puerto Rico also received rain, it was not enough to replenish groundwater across these regions,” according to the NIDIS report.
“U.S. Virgin Islands Impacts: Farmers in the USVI appreciated recent rains that left the USVI wet. Currently, there is neither dryness nor drought. Regular rainfall improved groundwater levels on St. Thomas and St. Croix in the USVI, while St. John has had intermittent rain with less groundwater improvement. Sporadic rain continues to saturate the soil. In agricultural areas on St. Thomas and St. Croix, impacts of erosion are ongoing, with Bordeaux farmers on St. Thomas reporting some roads impassable due to recent downpours. Wetter conditions spread toward most of the Virgin Islands, erasing any dryness that developed by mid-March,” continued the report.
No Drought Expected in the Coming Months; Burn Ban Update
The NIDIS does not expect drought conditions to develop over the next few months.
A photo of Mary’s Point on St. John, indicates lush conditions across the region. (Photo courtesy Rafe Boulon, NIDIS/Drought Report)
“No drought is expected to develop over the next three months in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s current Seasonal Drought Outlook,” the NIDIS report said.
Current conditions have led to the lifting of burn bans across the USVI, except for Water Island.
“The Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Medical Services announces the immediate lifting of the territorial burn ban, which had been in effect since April 9, 2025,” according to a press release on May 8 from VIFEMS. “This decision follows careful consideration of current environmental conditions and the safety measures in place to help prevent brush fires.”
Importantly, a burn ban will remain in effect for Water Island.
“While certain burn restrictions have been eased across St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix due to improved weather conditions and fire risk assessments, open burning of any kind remains strictly prohibited on Water Island,” VIFEMS asserted in a separate press release. “This longstanding policy remains in effect to protect the island’s natural landscape and ensure the safety of the community.”
Above Average Temperatures and More Precipitation Possible
The NIDS report concluded with information regarding computer forecast models that expect rainfall to be slightly above or near normal levels through the summer. Additionally, there is a significant chance that above-normal temperatures will affect the local islands over the coming months.
“The North American Multi-Model Ensemble (forecast) for summer (June through August 2025) indicates near-normal precipitation for Puerto Rico, and slightly wetter than normal for the Virgin Islands. Additionally, there is a 50 to 60 percent chance that temperatures will remain above normal through the summer months.
Stay Informed About the Weather
Residents and agriculturalists can stay updated on the latest drought information on the NIDIS website. Additionally, the local weather forecast for the U.S. Virgin Islands is regularly updated on the Source Weather Page and VI Source YouTube Channel.
Hurricane season begins on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, and USVI residents and visitors are encouraged to be prepared. NOAA plans to release this year’s hurricane season predictions on May 22, and individuals will be able to locate the forecast on the administration’s official website.
In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.
