News Release
NPS photo
News Release Date: September 30, 2017
Contact: Rob Parrish, 917-509-4426
Photos of Hurricanes Irma and Maria damage and response
Homestead, Fla. – The National Park Service Eastern Incident Management Team (EIMT) has established base operations in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At this time, all six national parks in the Caribbean remain closed. All employees from the six national parks in the Caribbean have been accounted for. Employees at San Juan National Historic Site, Virgin Islands National Park, and Christiansted National Historic Site have begun preliminary cleanup of park grounds and visitor centers.
The NPS Motor Vessel Fort Jefferson from Dry Tortugas National Park has been refueled in San Juan. Emergency stabilization supplies and materials have been sorted for distribution to national parks in the Caribbean, and the vessel is scheduled to depart for the Virgin Islands in the morning.
Approximately 55 National Park Service employees from 16 states and 28 national parks and offices inside and outside the affected areas have responded to support emergency stabilization efforts. Employees from parks outside the affected area continue to arrive at the Incident Command Post to staff emergency stabilization operations.
EIMT leadership is coordinating logistics to set up base operations to ensure that field teams have the tools and safety resources needed to begin deploying crews to parks. The EIMT is becoming increasingly operational as it ensures that logistical support is established to safely support field crews. The team will continue to prioritize support for employee emergency needs, establish communications, and provide critical supplies for emergency stabilization.
News from the field - September 30:
Virgin Islands National Park, St. John – CLOSED
- All employees have been accounted for.
- Information Technology Specialists are working to restore communications.
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, St. John – CLOSED
- All employees have been accounted for.
Christiansted National Historic Site, St. Croix – CLOSED
- All employees have been accounted for.
Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix – CLOSED
- All employees have been accounted for.
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, St. Croix – CLOSED
- All employees have been accounted for.
San Juan National Historic Site, Puerto Rico – CLOSED
- All employees have been accounted for.
- Information Technology Specialists continue to work to establish more reliable communications at the park headquarters.
- NPS staff continues to coordinate with federal agencies and community leaders to explore options to collaborate and share resources.
Additional updates on the status of these parks can be found at http://go.nps.gov/hurricane.
~NPS~
Last updated: September 30, 2017