Ritz-Carlton Club Letter Describes Hurricane Irma Damage and Anticipated Trump Visit to St. Thomas

6910 Great Bay, St. Thomas, USVI 00802 [email protected] 1-340-715-9042 September 13, 2017 Dear Fellow Ritz-Carlton Club Member, If you’ve been following the TV news, you already know that St. Thomas has taken a dreadful hit by Hurricane Irma. President Donald Trump, who has authorized disaster relief for the Virgin Islands, plans to visit St. Thomas “in the next six or seven days” according to Governor Kenneth Mapp. Our Club appears to have stood up reasonably well, at least when compared with the devastation elsewhere on the island. Many homes have been reduced to rubble, including those of some of our employees as you have heard. The insurance adjusters arrived today, an important step in obtaining the detailed damage and insurance information. The damage seems to grow from the far end of the beach toward the Hotel, with only modest damage in the Lily Building, more damage in Gardenia and Heliconia and even more at the Hotel. About 40% of our Residences are currently usable—with electricity and air conditioning—and they are fully occupied mostly by our employees. Many of these employees have returned to work, notwithstanding the hardships in their personal lives. 70% of the exterior lighting has been restored. Road and pathways on our property have been cleared. Work has also begun on restoring the landscaping, which was decimated by Irma. The Food Center is back open. Some electricity has been restored in the downtown area. Many ATM machines are now operational but with most limiting cash withdrawals to $100. The airport is still closed to commercial traffic. We know that some of our roofs have been damaged. Our air conditioners have been damaged. Some windows were broken and some doors were blown in by the 200 mph gusts. So we know there is water damage. But we don’t know how much. Communication is still a major challenge. There is no internet service at the club yet and cell service on our side of the island is extremely spotty. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_026759