Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Mar 31, 2023

Bermuda braces for Fiona as Biden pledges support for Puerto Rico

Bermuda braces for Fiona as Biden pledges support for Puerto Rico

Hurricane warning remains in effect for all of Bermuda as Puerto Rico struggles to restore power in the storm’s aftermath.

Residents of Bermuda have boarded up their windows and stocked up on supplies as Hurricane Fiona moves closer to the territory after leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean over the past several days.

As of Thursday afternoon, Fiona had maximum sustained winds of 125km per hour (78 miles per hour) and was about 555km (345 miles) west-southwest of Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said.

A hurricane warning remained in effect for all of Bermuda, an overseas British territory home to more than 60,000 people, while the NHC reported that the eye of the storm is expected to pass just west of Bermuda on Thursday night.

“I encourage everyone to properly prepare for this storm [and] stay out of the water,” Premier David Burt wrote on Twitter. “Take care of yourself [and] your family. Let’s all remember to check on as well as look out for your seniors, family and neighbors.”




Across the island, people cleared loose debris from yards and readied to close storm shutters: Many homes are built with small shuttered windows, slate roofs and limestone blocks to withstand frequent hurricanes.

“I’m taking every precaution to stay safe,” said Dean Williams, a resident of the capital city of Hamilton. “Preparation is the key because at its highest intensity we can do nothing but wait it out.”

Scott Barnes, who fishes for mahi-mahi and tuna, was adding three or four anchors to a boat moored near the shore, and planned to move his two other boats to a protective cove to shelter them from the worst of the Category 4 hurricane. “I’m taking this one serious,” he said.

At least eight deaths have been attributed so far to Fiona, which has brought heavy rain and destruction to several parts of the Caribbean since last weekend.

Officials are working to support residents across the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, which have all been affected by the hurricane.

United States President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the full force of his administration is ready to help Puerto Rico recover from the devastation.

More than 60 percent of power customers across the US territory remained without electricity on Thursday, while one-third were without water — and local officials admitted they could not say when service would be fully restored.




Speaking at a briefing with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials in New York, Biden said hundreds of FEMA and other federal officials were already on the ground in Puerto Rico.

“We’re with you. We’re not going to walk away,” the US president said in a message to residents, many of whom are still grappling with the devastating effects of 2017’s Hurricane Maria.

Officials in the US territory have been working with religious groups, nonprofits and others to brave landslides, thick mud and broken asphalt by foot and provide food, water and medicine for people in need.

But they are under pressure to clear a path so vehicles can enter isolated areas soon, as hundreds of people remain cut off from assistance.

“No one comes here to see us. I am worried for all the elderly people in this community,” said resident Nancy Galarza, who tried to signal for help from work crews she spotted in the distance.

At least five landslides cover the narrow road to her community in the steep mountains around the northern town of Caguas. The only way to reach the settlement is to climb over thick hills of mud, rock and debris left by Fiona.

“The rocks sounded like thunder,” recalled Vanessa Flores, a 47-year-old school janitor. “I’ve never in my life heard that. It was horrible.”




Al Jazeera’s Manuel Rapalo, reporting from San Juan on Thursday evening, said many homes in the area are relying on generators amid the ongoing electricity outages.

“The common theme that we keep hearing from folks here in Puerto Rico is how could a Category 1 storm that didn’t topple power lines, that didn’t cause widespread infrastructure damage, lead to an island-wide blackout?” Rapalo said.

Elsewhere on the island, including in the southern community of Salinas, residents said “the storm caught them off guard”, Rapalo reported. “A lot of people tell us that they lost everything; many of their homes were still being rebuilt after the impact of Hurricane Maria.”

Meanwhile, as Fiona’s outer bands were already reaching Bermuda in the early afternoon, experts said the hurricane is expected to remain dangerous when it hits Canada’s Atlantic provinces as a post-tropical cyclone, likely late on Friday.

“It’s going to be a storm that everyone remembers when it is all said and done,” said Bob Robichaud, a warning preparedness meteorologist for the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
Close
0:00
0:00
Don’t Dismiss China’s Peacemaking Bid
I have a dream, MLK inspiring speech
Father obliterates council members following viral TikTok of biological male masturbating in women’s bathroom..
Aretha Franklin, Marvis Staples - Oh Happy Day
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
BVI Freedom Song
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
Billy Preston - You Can't Beat God Giving (Live)
Nashville style execution
VIRGIN ISLANDS REGGAE CARIBBEAN RIDDIMZ
“We've had evidence prior to the pandemic that masks were largely ineffective at preventing community transmission of influenza “
Oh Happy Day Edwin Hawkins - Anthony Brown w FBCG Combined Choir
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:
'Stand by Me' performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz rejects being labeled a "billionaire"
National Anthem of the British Virgin Islands - Oh, Beautiful Virgin
Jamie Dimon is being deposed over JPMorgan Chase role in Epstein lawsuits
Hello Dolly
This is how an electric car saves all the energy that he would have spent if he had lived 50 years longer.
for KING & COUNTRY - Amen (Reborn) [feat. Lecrae & The WRLDFMS Tony Wi
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up
Social Media censoring users for saying the true
Yes He Can
Smart Iranian fashion designer teaching dummy TV anchors lesson about reality
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
AMERICA, 2023
Unforgettable
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Touch The Hem Of His Garment
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
The Lord's Prayer
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
THE GOD MOVEMENT...BEAUTIFUL BVI
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
Siyahamba
UK: Humza Yousaf replaces Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister in Scotland
Ray Charles And The Voices Of Jubilaton, Oh, Happy Day
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Reform Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Ramblin' Rose
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Protoje - Who Knows ft. Chronixx
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Pressure - Virgin Islands Nice
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
Phil Wickham - House Of The Lord
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
My God Is Real (Yes, God Is Real)
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
The Lion King Circle of Life by LEBO M. — LIVE at the HAVASI Symphonic
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Louis Armstrong - When The Saints Go Marching In
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
Kanye West Sunday Service - hallelujah, salvation, and glory
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Jonathan Nelson - I Believe (Island Medley
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
From The Virgin Islands Sqad Up
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Common, John Legend - Glory
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell - If I Ain't Got You
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
I have a dream, MLK inspiring speech
Nashville police officer, and a female driver shooting one another
Aretha Franklin, Marvis Staples - Oh Happy Day
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
BVI Freedom Song
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
Billy Preston - You Can't Beat God Giving (Live)
A brief banking situation report
VIRGIN ISLANDS REGGAE CARIBBEAN RIDDIMZ
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
Oh Happy Day Edwin Hawkins - Anthony Brown w FBCG Combined Choir
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
'Stand by Me' performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
National Anthem of the British Virgin Islands - Oh, Beautiful Virgin
Good news: The U.S. government is now guaranteeing all deposits, held by, Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds are available as of today
Hello Dolly
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
for KING & COUNTRY - Amen (Reborn) [feat. Lecrae & The WRLDFMS Tony Wi
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Yes He Can
A Mississippian man, who was once considered a “ticking time bomb,” has lost a whopping 165 kilograms! What motivated this incredible transformation?
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
Unforgettable
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
Touch The Hem Of His Garment
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
The Lord's Prayer
Fitness scam
THE GOD MOVEMENT...BEAUTIFUL BVI
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Siyahamba
A primitive judge in Australia sparked outrage when he told a breastfeeding woman to leave his courtroom for being “a distraction"
Ray Charles And The Voices Of Jubilaton, Oh, Happy Day
×