St. Croix Decimated By Hurricane Maria, New Pictures And Videos Reveal Devastation

The eye of Hurricane Maria tore through St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands Wednesday morning as a Category 5 storm, bringing winds of at least 155 mph in certain areas. Initial photos and videos of the aftermath on the island showed absolute devastation. Buildings in some of the pictures had been reduced to complete rubble.

It remained difficult to get information regarding the state of the island in the wake of the storm. Friends and family pleaded for information on social media. Others who made contact with those on the island said family members in St. Croix reported it had been completely decimated by the hurricane.

“I’m getting a lot of inquiries about my parents and the island,” Victoria Holmes wrote on Facebook. “Good news is they are alive, bad news is their property and the entire island is completely devastated with damage. Many people lost everything and do not have food so the community is doing what they can to help each other. Electricity is expected to be out for several weeks, if not months. There are poles and debris blocking down roads, shelters, etc.”

A video recorded at the popular Carambola Beach Resort on the island showed footage from the morning after Maria ripped through St. Croix. Severe damage could be seen on the grounds of the hotel, while trees and debris littered the inside of the resort.

One Twitter user posted a photo showing feet of muddy water flooding the homes of both his uncle and grandmother on the island. Multiple accounts told of a lack of electricity on the island, a situation that could last for months.

“I have heard from my sister and received news she and her family are safe,” Kristina Hennessy Romasser wrote on Facebook. “They did report they will be without power for months. They need chainsaws to help clear roads so they can get out of their neighborhoods. They have water but not drinkable so for now it is bottled water. So much destruction around her.”

A lack of communication from St. Croix made it difficult to get any concrete reports about the situation Thursday afternoon. It remained unclear whether there were any fatalities on the island from the storm.