CRUZ BAY, U.S. Virgin Islands – The Asolare restaurant is gone, practically blown off its cliff, along with its world-famous carrot ginger soup. The facade of Margarita Phil’s is a junkyard of yellow and vermilion planks. Multimillion-dollar homes and aluminum huts alike lay in ruins.
On the island of St. John, that was only Irma’s beginning. Once a lush gem in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a chain steeped in the lore of pirates and killer storms, this 20-square-mile island is now perhaps the site of Irma’s worst devastation on American soil.
Anthony Faiola, The Washington Post
Hurricane Irma leaves debris and destruction in its wake on St. John, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Six days after the storm – some say several days too late – the island finally has an active-theater disaster zone. Military helicopters buzz overhead and a Navy aircraft carrier is anchored off the coast, as the National Guard patrols the streets.
The Coast Guard is ferrying the last of St. John’s dazed tourists to large cruise ships destined for Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. More than a few locals, cut off from the world with no power, no landlines and no cellular service – other than the single bar you might get above Ronnie’s Pizza – are leaving, too, some of them in tears.
The streets of Cruz Bay, the largest town of this island of roughly 5,000, were a bizarre tableau of broken businesses and boats on sidewalks. Beyond belief, the Dog House bar had not only a generator but satellite TV, and folks streamed in and out, some stepping over debris holding beers.
A drive up formerly picturesque mountain roads reveals a landscape of such astonishing devastation that it looks as if it were carpet-bombed. Entire houses have disappeared. Others are tilting on their sides. Horizons of waxy-green bay leaf trees on jade-colored hills have turned to barren wastelands, as if the world’s largest weed whacker had hedged the entire island.
“Hurricanes? We’ve been through hurricanes – lots of them. But nothing, nothing, like this,” said Jerry O’Connell, a Chevy Chase, Maryland, native turned St. John developer.
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
A woman leaves her flooded home the morning after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida. Hurricane Irma made another landfall near Naples yesterday after inundating the Florida Keys. Electricity was out in much of the region with localized flooding.
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
A family leaves their flooded home in a rural area the morning after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Naples, Florida. Hurricane Irma made another landfall near Naples yesterday after inundating the Florida Keys. Electricity was out in much of the region with extensive flooding.
Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty Images
A man paddles through a flooded neighborhood in Bonita Springs, Florida, northeast of Naples, on Sept. 11, 2017 after Hurricane Irma hit Florida.
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
Jizreel Plancher calls out from the back of a truck to see if people need help the morning after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Naples, Florida. Hurricane Irma made another landfall near Naples yesterday after inundating the Florida Keys. Electricity was out in much of the region with localized flooding.
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
A couple walk through the flooded streets the morning after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Naples, Florida. Hurricane Irma made another landfall near Naples yesterday after inundating the Florida Keys. Electricity was out in much of the region with localized flooding.
Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP
An Urban Flood Water Rescue Team with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department makes its way along a flooded street on the Southbank of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
An electrical worker repairs stop lights the morning after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Naples, Florida. Hurricane Irma made another landfall near Naples yesterday after inundating the Florida Keys. Electricity was out in much of the region with localized flooding.
Mark Wilson, Getty Images
The roof of a gas station is shown damaged by Hurricane Irma winds on Sept. 11, 2017 in Bonita Springs, Florida. Yesterday Hurricane Irma hit Florida's west coast leaving widespread damage and flooding.
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
People wait in line for a store to open for food and water the morning after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Naples, Florida. Hurricane Irma made another landfall near Naples yesterday after inundating the Florida Keys. Electricity was out in much of the region with localized flooding.
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
Hotel guests are served breakfast by lamplight as the power remains off at the Courtyard by Marriott one day after Hurricane Irma struck the state Sept. 11, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Irma made landfall as a Category 4 storm twice in the United States on Sunday after tearing a path across islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Mark Wilson, Getty Images
Road crews clear debris after Hurricane Irma passed through on Sept. 11, 2017 in Naples, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moved up the coast.
Brian Blanco, Getty Images
A large tree is seen laying in the front yard of a home after high winds from Hurricane Irma came through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Fort Meade, Florida. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. yesterday, after raking across the north coast of Cuba.
Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP, The Associated Press
Urban Flood Water Rescue Team 2, with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, makes its way along San Marco Boulevard on the Southbank of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
A boat is seen washed ashore at the Dinner Key marina after Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moved up the coast.
Mark Wilson, Getty Images
A home is shown damaged after Hurricane Irma hit the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in East Naples, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moved up the coast.
Mark Wilson, Getty Images
The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in East Naples, Florida. Yesterday Hurricane Irma hit Florida's west coast leaving widespread damage and flooding.
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
A teen walks through flooded streets the morning after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Naples, Florida. Hurricane Irma made another landfall near Naples yesterday after inundating the Florida Keys. Electricity was out in much of the region with localized flooding.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Philippa Regueira returns home through a street littered with downed trees and branches after seeking shelter in a friend's home after Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 11, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Florida took a direct hit from the Hurricane.
David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP
The Interstate remains empty as the outer bands of Hurricane Irma reached South Florida early Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017 in Miami.
Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
The winds and sea are whipped up off of the Rickenbacker Causeway as two people cross the street in Miami as Hurricane Irma approaches on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
A car sits abandoned in storm surge along North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state Sept. 10, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The powerful hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
A person walks through a flooded street in the Brickell area of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast.
Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images
Heavy winds and rain from Hurricane Irma are seen in Miami, Florida on Sept. 10, 2017. Hurricane Irma's eyewall slammed into the lower Florida Keys, lashing the island chain with fearsome wind gusts, the US National Hurricane Center said.
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
Large waves produced by Hurricane Irma crash into the end of Anglins Fishing Pier Sept. 10, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
A boat is washed on shore at the Watson Island marina as Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma, which first made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, has weakened to a Category 2 as it moves up the coast.
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
A car sits abandoned in storm surge along North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state September 10, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The powerful hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba.
Brian Blanco, Getty Images
Residents inspect the extreme receding water in Tampa Bay ahead of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 10, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast.
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
Broken tree branches block roads in the Coral Beach neighborhood as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state September 10, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The powerful hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba.
Michele Eve, AFP/Getty Images
A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars on Sept. 10, 2017 Miami, Florida in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Hurricane Irma's eyewall slammed into the lower Florida Keys, lashing the island chain with fearsome wind gusts, the US National Hurricane Center said.
Gerald Herbert, The Associated Press
Evacuees stand in line to enter the Germain Arena, which is being used as a shelter, in advance of Hurricane Irma, in Estero, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
Jim Rassol /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
A young girl and her family seek shelter from Hurricane Irma at the West Boynton Park and Recreation Center in Boynton, Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
David Goldman, The Associated Press
Hector Padron carries his mattress as evacuees are moved to another building with more bathrooms while sheltering at Florida International University ahead of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
David Goldman, The Associated Press
Evacuees are moved to another building with more bathrooms while sheltering at Florida International University ahead of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
David Goldman, The Associated Press
Evacuees are moved to another building with more bathrooms while sheltering at Florida International University ahead of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
Jim Rassol, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
People seek shelter from Irma with their pets at the West Boynton Park and Recreation Center in preparation for Hurricane Irma in Boynton, Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images
Hundreds of people gather in an emergency shelter at the Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center in Miami, Florida, Sept. 8, 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma.
Florida Governor Rick Scott warned that all of the state's 20 million inhabitants should be prepared to evacuate as Hurricane Irma bears down for a direct hit on the southern US state.
Chris O'Meara, The Associated Press
Ramsey Abdelkader, right, helps Sherri Skala, left, and Jennifer Morales fill sand bags to help protect their restaurant Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Business and residents were under a mandatory evacuation order as Hurricane Irma continued to churn towards Florida.
Lara Cerri, Tampa Bay Times via AP
Joseph, Jr., right, 15, of St. Petersburg, bends down to carry sandbags to his family's vehicle at Lealman Community Park, in St. Petersburg, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, as residents prepare for Hurricane Irma.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
People line up to get their propane tanks filled as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 5, 2017 in Miami, Florida. It's still too early to know where the direct impact of the hurricane will take place but the state of Florida is in the area of possible landfall.
Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel via The Associated Press
Drivers wait in line for gasoline in Altamonte Springs, Fla., ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irma, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. Irma roared into the Caribbean with record force early Wednesday, its 185-mph winds shaking homes and flooding buildings on a chain of small islands along a path toward Puerto Rico, Cuba and Hispaniola and a possible direct hit on densely populated South Florida.
NASA/NOAA GOES Project via Getty Images
In this NASA/NOAA handout image taken at 11:45 a.m. Friday, NOAA's GOES satellite shows Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean Sea, Tropical Storm Jose in the Atlantic Ocean and Tropical Storm Katia in the Gulf of Mexico.
In the days following the storm, lawlessness broke out – here and on other Caribbean islands. Thieves hit a string of businesses. Houses were burgled, entire ATM machines stolen.
In the information vacuum after the storm, rumors flew like Irma’s raindrops. Prisoners had broken free on nearby Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, seized guns and formed armed gangs.
Left largely unprotected and with no way to call the police, some locals began sleeping in shifts. One local blogger, Jenn Manes, called for help on her island blog – help that finally arrived in force Monday. Others jumped on her for sullying the island’s name, because tough times can bring communities together, but they can also divide.
“I know some people were not happy with my telling the truth – that I was scared, that people here were scared,” said Manes as she lined up Tuesday to catch a Coast Guard boat off the island. “It doesn’t mean I won’t be back. We’re going to rebuild.”
On late Wednesday morning when Irma hit, the Virgin Islands, a haven for cruise ships and those in search of a good piña colada, were supposed to get lucky. A former Danish colony purchased by the United States in 1917, the small island cluster had had more than its fair share of cyclones. Their names read like a litany of salty villains: Marylyn, Irene, Hugo.
Irma was supposed to veer to the north, or so thought Joe Decourcy, a Canadian businessman who moved to St. John in 2001. Instead, the storm slammed the island at full intensity, its Category 5 winds of 150 mph racking it from coast to coast. Irma also hit neighboring St. Thomas, devastating the local hospital and homes and businesses across the island. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, only St. Croix was largely spared.
Decourcy, owner of Joe’s Rum Hut, holed up that night in the formidable villa of a friend. Even the multimillion-dollar home could not hold Irma back. They sheltered on the first floor after second-floor windows were sucked out, causing massive flooding.
“The pressure was insane. It felt like our heads were going to explode,” he said.
Anthony Faiola, The Washington Post
Hurricane Irma caused massive damage on St. John, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Anthony Faiola
When the slow-moving storm cleared, Decourcy emerged with other shell-shocked locals to post-apocalyptic scenes of shattered homes, of cars, boats and sides of homes in the street. “We walked around like ‘The Walking Dead,’ ” he said.
A sailboat named Windsong had landed in the street in front of Joe’s Rum Hut. Islanders quickly banded together, he said, sharing food, supplies. But by Friday, the “vibe,” he said, “started to change.”
The island was virtually cut off. No cell reception. No power. No WiFi. It also meant there was no way to call the island’s police, and some began to realize it.
Friday morning, Decourcy arrived to start cleaning up in earnest, only to discover the chains to the bar had been cut by bolt cutters. Inside, the registers were smashed open, the safes ajar. He had banked the bar’s cash before the storm. But who knew what else was missing – he did not have the stomach to do an inventory.
At least four other businesses in a mall he runs also were hit. A gas station was robbed, as was Scoops, the island’s ice cream parlor. The burned-out husk of an ATM and safe, which thieves apparently tried to open with a blowtorch, sit in the town’s police station.
Many residents were outraged it took so long for the National Guard to arrive.
“No structure, no police presence, no National Guard,” Decourcy said. “It got really tense, to the point where business owners were asking, ‘How do I get firearms? How do I get off the island? Are they coming for us?’ I mean, this is supposed to be U.S. territory. And yet people were just running around breaking into residences and stores.”
Devida Damron, 38, a 10-year island resident who works at the local veterinary clinic, was leaving St. John on Tuesday with her boyfriend and her dog, French Fry. She said she saw a man with a machete in the street Friday yelling, “It’s looting time.”
At the same time, a cluster of do-gooders, mostly launching from the Puerto Rican coast, were starting to ferry the old and infirm off St. John. Nils Erickson, a 42-year-old Gaithersburg, Maryland, native and part time St. John resident, rushed down Friday after he began hearing pleas from islanders on a Facebook page.
“People were begging for help,” he said.
With the aid of a local boat company, a GoFundMe account and credit cards to finance the rest, Erickson began running supply mission and evacuations. Since Friday – three days before large-scale official efforts – they managed to get 600 people off the island.
So many boats came to aid that the locals began to call it the “Puerto Rican Navy.”
“It was our own Dunkirk,” said Sgt. Richard Dominguez of the Virgin Islands Police Department. “They took their own boats before official means were available. They didn’t wait.”
Kenneth Mapp, I, governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, insisted in a telephone interview that there had been no pillaging at all on St. John, despite evidence to the contrary.
“I am sympathetic, and I understand the people’s fear and desire for more resources on the island as quickly as possible,” Mapp said. “But there was no looting, no abuse of folks.”
President Donald Trump, Mapp said, called him Monday and was due to survey the Virgin Islands damage this week. He would find, the governor said, an efficient response. Those in dire need of assistance were carried off St. John and St. Thomas by authorities via helicopter. On Monday and Tuesday, the bulk of stranded tourists – some 3,500 – were rescued by two massive cruise ships. And the emergency WiFi service was up and running Tuesday.
Mapp conceded that it may take “months, months, months” before power is restored to the island but said the delay in mobilizing the National Guard to St. John was unavoidable. The harbor was filled with overturned boats, making landings difficult. He managed to get to the island himself, he said, via helicopter.
“It’s a matter of deployment of assets,” he said. “This was a Cat. 5 event.”
And yet, the citizens here are indeed pulling together. The Dog House is offering free food. Meaghan Enright, 34, a marketing manager on the island who suddenly finds herself jobless, has found a new reason for being the de facto relief organizer.
“St. John has a singular ability to pull together in a crisis,” she said.
