ST. CROIX — Tropical Shipping brought government leaders, emergency managers, and private-sector partners together Thursday for a disaster management workshop aimed at strengthening the territory’s readiness for future crises.
The theme and messages shared during the half-day event held in the Great Hall at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Croix underscored that preparedness is not optional in the Virgin Islands.
The workshop was held in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency, Seven Seas Insurance Company, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The program opened with remarks from Tropical Shipping representatives and government officials, but the true purpose of the workshop took shape during two different work groups that engaged attendees from both the private and public sectors.
Maria del Mar Rodriuez, Tropical Shipping assistant vice president, told the attendees that the purpose of the workshop was to build practical preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. To do so, she noted that the work groups were the most important part of the workshop. She said the result upon completing the work group sessions was for the participants to provide a list of simple actions for government agencies to consider while preparing for disasters.
The first work group tackled the economic impact of disasters. Considering recovery starts when businesses can reopen after a disaster, participants were tasked with identifying risks and vulnerabilities that are essential in helping businesses develop mitigation and risk management measures in partnership with local disaster management agencies.
The second work group focused on managing the reputational issues and fallout of cybersecurity breaches and attacks, as well as public utilities infrastructure failures. Participants discussed what measures should be in place, and what appropriate alliances should be preestablished to respond to incidents.
Karla Yhan, Tropical Shipping island manager for the port of St. Croix, told WTJX that the objective of the work groups was to identify missing pieces in terms of connecting the private sector with the public sector and facilitating a quick response and recovery. She said this was accomplished by obtaining feedback from the government officials and business partners who participated, noting the private and public sector officials had a chance to collaborate and begin the discussion necessary to bridge the gaps when it comes to disaster response.
“The message that we were trying to convey to the attendees is preparedness,” Yahn said. “Preparedness and us having a common mission and goal in hand is what makes us resilient, building those partnerships, bridging those gaps, so in the event of a natural or a man-made disaster, that we always have a plan, a business continuity plan, and a way forward so we can ensure that not only our community is ready and prepared, our businesses are ready to rebound quickly and fast, so we can support the community.”
Yhan hosted the event and offered remarks along with the other presenters prior to the work group sessions. She discussed Tropical’s response in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which devastated St. Croix on September 19, 2017, just 11 days after Hurricane Irma pummeled St. Thomas.
“We moved essential cargo as quickly as possible — food, water, generators — because we understood that every shipment represented hope for a family or a business trying to recover,” she said. “That experience reinforced a simple truth — preparedness makes a difference.”
From the emergency management perspective, VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen discussed the various threats to the Virgin Islands, including hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, sargassum, drought, and heat. He highlighted the importance of the territory’s 512-page hazard mitigation plan and the community lifelines, which include sectors like transportation, fuel, and health. He emphasized the significance of individual and private-sector preparedness, noting that 85% of hurricanes occur between August and November.
Frank Comito, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association special advisor, gave a presentation from the perspective of the Caribbean tourism and hospitality industry.
Adrienne Williams-Octalien, director of the Office of Disaster Recovery, discussed the federal funding the territory received to rebuild following the 2017 storms. She noted the $8 billion the territory was initially supposed to receive tripled to $24 billion.
“We have $24 billion to spend by 2035 so we have to double, at a minimum, double in order to spend the money that we have,” she said. “So, it’s like we have twice the government if we’re going to keep on pace for 2035. That’s not a small feat. That takes every single one of you in this room in whatever role that you have.”
