USVI – Government House Communications Richard Motta Jr. was joined by VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen, who provided an update on the Territory’s hurricane preparedness posture, emergency response planning and public readiness efforts.
Mr. Motta noted that June 1 marked the official start of the hurricane season and said Director Jaschen will join the weekly briefing each Monday throughout the season to provide preparedness updates and bring forward Cabinet members and agency leaders responsible for the Territory’s emergency support functions.
“Preparedness is not a one-day conversation, and it is not the work of one agency alone,” Mr. Motta said. “It is a sustained, whole government effort that requires coordination, clear communication and personal responsibility from every resident, every household, every business and every community organization.”
Director Jaschen said that, as of Monday, the National Hurricane Center’s two-day and seven-day outlooks did not indicate expected tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. However, he emphasized that the absence of an immediate threat is not a reason to delay preparation.
NOAA’s 2026 Atlantic Hurricane season outlook, issued May 21, 2026, projects 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes. While NOAA has classified the season as likely below normal, Director Jaschen reminded residents that it only takes one storm to create serious damage and disruption in the Virgin Islands.
“The time to act is always now,” Mr. Jaschen said. “Be prepared, stay informed and be vigilant.”
He urged residents to inspect roofs, shutters, and windows, secure loose outdoor items, prepare a family sheltering plan , and build emergency kits with at least 72 hours of supplies, with a stronger goal of 3 to 7 days of water, nonperishable food, medications, flashlights, batteries, cash and important documents.
Director Jaschen also reminded residents to review homeowner, renter, and flood insurance before a storm is named, since insurance companies generally will not issue new policies or make coverage changes once a storm is officially named. Residents are also encouraged to document their belongings through photos or video and store those records digitally or off-island.
Mr. Jaschen also highlighted VITEMA’s recent Capstone Hurricane Readiness Exercise, a full scale simulated emergency conducted across St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island. The exercise tested Emergency Operations Center coordination, mass casualty response, patient movement and evacuation, route clearance, joint damage assessment, public information operations, disaster recovery center planning, points of distribution and coordination with federal, territorial and local partners.
The Territory has identified several congregate shelter locations for the 2026 Hurricane season, including Lockhart School on St. Thomas, the Adrian Senior Center and Cruz Bay Community Hub on St. John, and the D.C. Canegata Recreational Center and St. Croix Educational Complex High School on St. Croix. The Arthur A. Richards School in Frederiksted remains under construction and is not currently listed as a shelter for the 2026 season, though it may be added after completion and assessment by the Department of Human Services and the American Red Cross.
Medical Special Needs Shelters are managed by the Department of Health based on pre-registration with the Department of Human Services. Residents who may need medical special needs sheltering or VITRAN Plus transportation are encouraged to register now. Residents may register in person or receive assistance by calling DHS at 340-773-1664/643-1495 on St. Croix.
Director Jaschen also reminded essential businesses that curfew pass requests are processed in the order received and may take 7 to 14 business days. The official June 1 deadline has passed, but businesses may continue submitting limited requests until a named storm threatens the Territory. Essential businesses include critical food suppliers, gas stations, transportation providers, security services, utilities, communications, airport and seaport operations, banking and water services.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for Alert VI at vitema.vi.gov. Follow VITEMA on Facebook and Instagram, and monitor the National Weather Service San Juan at weather.gov/sju.
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