Oct. 24, 2026, 8 a.m.
St. John and St. Thomas are in the dark again. I have lived in St. John for more than 12 years, and this is the worst it has ever been. My husband has been here since 2004, and he said that is the worst that it has even been. Generational residents have said this is the worst it has ever been. It’s a pretty dark time for the Virgin Islands, no pun intended.
Since last Thursday, October 15th, the power has been out for more than 65 hours, and it is still out. I have zero faith it will be restored anytime soon. The Virgin Islands’ power company posted on Facebook at 2 a.m. this morning that parts have arrived from Texas and Missouri, and crews are actively working to repair one of the units at the power plant in St. Thomas. I am not holding my breath.
Public schools were closed Thursday and Friday. Our children are unable to go to school due to our government’s sheer ineptitude.
Seniors are living in the dark.
Residents who rely on medical equipment to survive – TO SURVIVE – are powerless.
Groceries are spoiled territory-wide.
Generators are failing.
We’re all fed up.
People are hot. People are tired. People are angry. And the saddest part is that nothing is going to change unless you all help us – those of you who vacation in the US Virgin Islands.
St. John’s economy relies on tourism. Without you all, we do not have an economy. If we do not have you, we lose a considerable amount of tax dollars. The government cannot run without the tax dollars we receive from all of you. We need your help. We need your voices.
Please contact the Secretary of the Department of Energy. Let’s start there. His name is Chris Wright, and according to his government profile, he “is a dedicated humanitarian with a passion for bringing the benefits of energy to every community in the world.” His email is The.Secretary@hq.doe.gov and his office phone number is 202-586-5000. Please tell him what’s going on. And please remind him that this is a United States Territory filled with United States residents… just in case. 🙂
Next let’s go to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is able to declare a public health emergency. Food is spoiling. Our sewage plants are not operating properly. Medical equipment is failing. Temperatures are in the upper nineties, and many are living without fans and/or air conditioning. All of that, collectively, constitutes as a public health emergency. You can contact the Office of Health and Human Services at 1-877-696-6775.
Lastly, you can contact The White House. You can send a message via an online form here.Â
If we all work together, we can hopefully force change.