U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (August 21, 2024) – The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (“WAPA” or the “Authority”) provides restoration updates following Tropical Storm Ernesto, highlighting steady progress with 99% of the territory restored. Line crews are actively addressing dense vegetation, repairing powerlines, and replacing transformers to restore service to customers affected by isolated outages.

On St. Croix and St. John, 99% of power has been restored. St. Thomas has seen 98% of customers regain service. The remaining isolated/pocket outages must be reported to WAPA’s Customer Service team at (340) 773-2250 or (340) 774-3552 - Option 5 or via email at customer.service@viwapa.vi. Line crews across the territory, supported by local utility contractors and the Department of Public Works, are prioritizing the remaining isolated outages and addressing reported trouble calls. Outages can also be reported through the website at: https://www.viwapa.vi/customer-service/report-outage-or-problem. To view real-time updates on outages on each island, please visit WAPA’s Outage Map at: http://outageviewer.viwapa.vi:7575/. Please expect some power fluctuations as crews work safely to address isolated outages in areas that have already been restored.

We continue to ask motorists to be cautious, adhere to the Virgin Islands Police Department and flaggers, and slow down as they are driving near or through work zones. In addition, we remind the public and electricians not to touch or tamper with any WAPA infrastructure. Unauthorized contact with power lines, streetlights, transformers, and other equipment can cause serious harm to the unauthorized technician, the system and our customers.

Normal operations were initiated yesterday, and as such, disconnections have resumed as of today, Wednesday, August 21, 2024. We understand that some customers are still without power, and please be assured that these individuals will not be impacted by this resumption.

On St. Croix, WAPA Water Personnel successfully troubleshooted service issues affecting several customers in Christiansted. Water customers can expect water pressure to continue to improve throughout the evening.

Our teams continue to work safely and diligently as restoration efforts near completion. The Authority is committed to fostering a culture of safety and excellence. We deeply appreciate the community’s patience and resilience during this challenging time as we work to address the remaining outages following Tropical Storm Ernesto.

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