Described as leading to extraordinary level of destruction, the biggest island of Tortola was devastated. Debris from houses, trees and even boats were strewn in the street/. Debris from houses, trees and even boats were strewn in the street. Most buildings described as completely destroyed. Phone and internet affected after, prison damaged. government imposed curfew to deal with security. On the island of Jost Van Dyke -most of the homes were annihilated, island was left without light, water or telephone lines. The island was ravaged with the green hillsides being stripped of trees. The island’s two gas stations damaged. It took about 6 months for electricity to be restored.
ECLAC article on Irma and Maria’s Impact in The British Virgin Islands
The first gusts of Hurricane Irma began affecting the territory of the British Virgin Islands
(BVI) in the early hours of 6 September 2017. Forecasters had predicted that the eye
would pass just north of Anegada. However, the system shifted to the south and the eye
passed directly over Tortola.
For six hours, Irma battered the territory resulting in four deaths and approximately 125 reported
injuries. With telecommunications, VHF radio networks and the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) headquarters destroyed, emergency transmissions were severely impaired. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) reported that the all-clear was expected to be given at 11:00 p.m. In view of the widespread devastation and deterioration of law and order, a state of emergency was declared on 7 September and a curfew implemented on 8 September.
The northern coast of Tortola was severely affected by storm surges, particularly the communities of Cane Garden Bay and Carrot Bay, where seaside cemeteries, schools and historic edifices were displaced. In the south, residents reported tornadic activity within the valleys surrounding Road Town with extensive damage in the Lower Estate area. The Balsam Ghut Prison Complex, Police Headquarters, House of Assembly and main government building all suffered major damage. Nine out of 19 schools in the territory were left inoperative after the storm’s passage. The island’s infrastructure was also devastated as road networks, telecommunication systems, airport and seaport facilities were severely damaged. Virgin Gorda sustained heavy damage, particularly in the North Sound region, with reports of 12 to 20 feet (3.7 to 6.1 m) of storm surge in some areas. Many tourist accommodations were also destroyed, while schools, emergency shelters and health facilities suffered significant water and roof damage. Jost Van Dyke’s infrastructure was also crippled as the main water storage facility and most cellular towers were flattened. Several landslides were reported in the island’s western region. Anegada suffered damage to some docking
facilities and tourist accommodation; most regions experienced 2 to 5 feet (0.6 to 1.5 m) of storm surge. Similar reports of devastation were received from other Sister Islands.
Hurricane Maria approached BVI at 5 p.m. on Sunday 17 September, 2017. The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Miami, Florida, issued a Hurricane Watch for that country, advising of intense rainfall, flash floods, mudslides and possible danger from the debris left in Irma’s wake. A continuous curfew was imposed the following day after consultations with the Governor and key government and private sector officials. The Category 5 system passed to the southeast of the island
chain between 19 and 20 September, battering the territory with 155 mph (250 km/h) winds for over 12 hours. Though heavy rains continued, the hurricane warning was discontinued by 5 p.m. on Wednesday 20 September. Most inhabitants were affected by the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in one way or another. The assessment team estimated that approximately 17,985 persons were primarily affected as a result of some type of damage to their homes and other possessions.
There were four deaths in the territory and about 125 related injuries after Hurricane Irma; no casualties were reported for Hurricane Maria. Approximately 351 registered persons occupied various shelters throughout Tortola. These included improvised informal shelters that housed more
inhabitants. Although the inhabitants of the island of Anegada was advised to evacuate, only 106 persons did so, while 51 remained in a shelter.
The ECLAC assessment team estimated that the total cost of Hurricane Irma in the British Virgin Islands is US $2.3 billion. This cost consists of three elements: damage, revenue and other income losses, and additional costs— such as debris removal. Of this total, damages are estimated at US $1.6 billion. The productive sectors suffered 41.9 per cent (US $691.6 million) of the total damage, followed by social sectors, 40.2 per cent, and infrastructure, 17.6 per cent. Losses are estimated at US $444 million, of which 82.2 per cent is in the productive sectors, 13.7 per cent infrastructure sectors, and 3.2 per cent social sectors. Additional costs are estimated at US $198.2 million, of which 52.1 per cent is in the infrastructure sectors, 33.7 per cent social sectors and 14.0 per cent productive sectors.
Public sector assets account for 14.5 per cent of the total damage, 9.5 per cent of the total losses, and 43.9 per cent of the additional costs. The public sector will be required to spend US $243.3
million to replace damaged assets. In a reconstruction process it is expected that this expense will be greater than damage estimates due to improvements not only in quality but also in efforts at
disaster risk reduction. Overall, the sector most affected by the hurricane is tourism, sustaining 46.6
per cent of total costs, 41.3 per cent of damage and 81.5 per cent of total losses. The economy of the British Virgin Islands relies heavily on the tourism sector as a main source of employment
for the people of the territory. Additionally, since the nature of tourism in the territory makes water proximity a highly valued amenity, many tourist facilities are very close to the seashore, which adds an extra risk due to water surge. The total cost of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the tourism sector is US $1.06 billion. The total damage estimated for the tourism sector is US $682 million,
mainly in the land-based infrastructure, which accounts for damages of US $482 million. The total damage in the sea-based tourism is US $177 million, of which US $166 million is related to damages in the vessels. A total of 205 chartered vessels were damaged, including a good number of wrecked vessels on the shore, either capsized or extensively damaged by debris. Losses are estimated at US $362 million, and land and sea based accommodations account for about US $264 million of that total. Additional costs include US $17 million for preparations to safeguard property both on land and sea, as well as costs for removal of debris, general cleaning and operating costs for electrical generators. Hotel infrastructure is severely damaged and many will not be fully operational until 2019. Tourism losses amount to US $361.8 million, of which US $121.5 million occurred in 2017, US $217.3 million in 2018, and US $22.0 million in 2019.
The most affected social sector was housing and public buildings. The overall cost to the sector is estimated at US $680.2 million. Housing was one of the sectors most severely affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, with a total of 6,944 residential buildings affected. A significant number of public buildings such as schools, health establishments, post offices, and fire and police departments also sustained severe damages and losses. The main damages were wind damage to roofs and walls, water damage as a result of rain intrusion, and impacts caused by flying debris. Of the residential buildings affected throughout the four main islands, 14 per cent have major
damages and cannot be repaired, 16 per cent have major damage but can be repaired, 22 per cent have some damages but can still be safely occupied and 47 per cent have minimal damage and can be easily repaired. The losses are calculated at US $12.3 million as a result of the interruption
of accommodation services due to severe damage or destruction of the housing stock, making it temporarily or permanently uninhabitable. Additional costs are estimated at US $65.9 million, which includes costs for demolition of the most affected dwellings, the clearing of debris and use of diesel or gas generators. Electricity is not yet fully restored throughout the territory. The most affected infrastructure sector was roads, airports and ports. The effects of the wind force and sea surge, as well as the occurrence of isolated tornados associated with the storm, created devastating levels of damage to the transportation infrastructure of Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda
and Tortola. The estimated damage to this subsector is US $205.8 million for roads, bridges,
sea wall, ports, marines, docks, airports, and transportation equipment (public and private vehicles and boats). Additional costs related to debris removal, fencing and other related tasks are estimated at US $28.2 million. Losses are estimated at US $17.9 million.
The environment sector of the BVI was also impacted by these events, estimated at US $2.7million. This includes damages to ecosystems (i.e. corals, mangroves, beaches and seagrass beds) and other environment-related infrastructure assets.
Losses are estimated at US $3.9 million due to substantial impacts on ecosystem services. Additional costs account for US $370,000, reflecting expenditures of environmental organisations, such as Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society and the Association of Reef Keepers, to normalise their operations.
Documents: https://goo.gl/6c3mEB, https://goo.gl/gKe9wQ