Government

Amidst Hurricane Season, VITEMA Grapples with Faulty Tsunami Sirens

Even at the height of the annual hurricane season, the V.I. Territorial Management Agency has not lost sight of the threat of another type of natural disaster — a tsunami — potentially poses to the territory.  During Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety, VITEMA Executive Director Daryl Jaschen testified that the agency continues to test tsunami sirens every third Thursday of each month.  Since testing started at the beginning of the year, VITEMA now has a count of 12 nonfunctional sirens: one on St. John, five on St. Thomas, and six on St. Croix. There is a contract in place to repair the most badly damaged sirens. Senator Franklin Johnson wondered whether replacements could be had at no cost, a question Mr. Jaschen answered in the negative. The ones damaged during hurricanes Irma and Maria have been repaired, the VITEMA director explained. “Now since 2017 to date, there had been additional damage that occurred or things that have ...