U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (August 18, 2024) - As we approach the end of day 5 following Tropical Storm Ernesto, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (“WAPA” or the “Authority”) is reporting that restoration efforts across the Territory are nearing completion, with 97.3% of customers having power. While we are making significant progress, we are currently addressing a loss of generation capacity at the Randolph Harley Power Plant, which is impacting some feeders in the St. Thomas/St. John district. Our crews are working on the remaining isolated outages and completing final repairs, understanding the challenges our customers have faced over the past five days.

On St. Croix, 99% of power has been restored, with 354 customers still facing outages in isolated areas. St. Thomas has seen 96% of customers regain service, with 1,003 yet to be restored. St. John is 99% restored, with 19 customers awaiting power. The teams have been able to restore 22359 customers on St. Thomas, 23763 on St. Croix, and 3073 on St. John, totaling 49,195 customers.

Line crews have successfully restored power to priority areas across all islands, including schools and public services, thanks to the invaluable support of the Department of Public Works, VI Police Department, and local utility contractors. For customers experiencing an isolated outage, please contact our Customer Service team with your account number during regular business hours.

With restoration winding down, the Call Center will close as of today. Since the storm, the Call Center responded to 2,154 calls.  Customer Service will continue to be available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and can be reached at (340) 773-2250 or (340) 774-3552 - Option 5 or via email at customer.service@viwapa.vi.

Restoration Progress as of Sunday, August 18, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.:

On St. Croix, Estate Strawberry Hill experienced a mainline leak that has been repaired. Customers can anticipate improved water pressure within 1-2 hours. Water pressure in Frederiksted continues to be monitored as inventory tank levels continue to rise. While on St. Thomas, WAPA Water Personnel activated with great urgency on improving the water pressure at the Queen Louise Home recently reported.

With the community's support, WAPA is completing recovery and restoring service to every customer. We recognize the challenges faced in the wake of Tropical Storm Ernesto and are learning from this experience, as we strive to improve the quality, reliability, and resilience of our services. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the community for their patience and resilience.

The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority’s Communications Department remains dedicated to reaching, informing, and connecting with the entire community—from our youngest to our eldest members—through meaningful, transparent, and effective communication.

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