PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — Following the passing of Hurricane Earl through the Eastern Caribbean, both St. Maarten and the U.S. Virgin Islands reported just minor damage.

The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau said there was no extensive damage or loss of life in St. Maarten. No damage has been reported at the Princess Juliana International Airport and many resort guests throughout the country are back in the pools with drinks in hand.

“Hurricanes are no laughing matter, but thanks to our preparedness and infrastructure we sustained relatively minor damage,” said Regina LaBega, director of tourism for the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau.

As Hurricane Earl has moved away from the Territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has issued the following updates following an assessment of the effects of the storm.

To date, there are no reports of structural damage and no loss of life or injury has been reported as a result of the storm. The Department’s assessment of hotels so far indicates no major damage and hoteliers are in the process of removing debris.

Clean up efforts are currently underway to remove road debris and trees that have fallen due to the storm’s sustained winds. Currently, all roads have been cleared on St. Croix, all roads on St. Thomas and St. John are passable.

Power assessment is currently underway with several areas already restored to regular power.

Telephone service has been restored to most areas and cellular phone service is available.

Airports across the Territory have reopened and air service to/from the Territory has resumed.
The Territory’s seaports have reopened following completion of a U.S. Coast Guard assessment and authorization to reopen.

“Over the last 24-36 hours, the Department of Tourism has taken steps to assess and address the impact of Hurricane Earl for visitors to our islands,” said Commissioner Nicholson-Doty. “We are thankful that no major damage has been reported, however we continue to work closely with government agencies, our partner airlines, cruise lines and hotels to ensure that the needs of our visitors are met. We will be communicating further updates as the situation warrants.”