A WAPA vehicle attempting to drive through heavy flooding in Gallows Bay, St. Croix.
Thunderstorms, which the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico had alerted would impact the USVI and Puerto Rico this week, came with fury late Friday, leading to heavy flooding in both USVI districts while triggering an island-wide power outage on St. Croix.
The heavy showers, which started earlier on St. Croix, eventually covered the entire USVI. Multiple videos shared online showed river-like flooding in Gallows Bay, St. Croix, and vehicles halfway covered in water in other areas of the island. On the Melvin Evans Highway, vehicles were stalled by water, while on St. Thomas similar outcomes were reported.
One of the elevators at the Windward Passage Hotel in St. Thomas leaked so badly it was recorded by someone and shared online.
The National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico said last night that total rainfall over a 24-hour period indicated a peak of approximately 6-8 inches of rain. This morning, the NWS said a flash flood watch remains in effect for PR and the USVI. "We encourage everyone to stay vigilant about the weather conditions," NWS said on X, formerly Twitter. Unstable conditions are also expected to continue this afternoon influenced by a surface trough and above-normal moisture.
