Updated December 1, 2017 Rule of Law
Major Abuse of Power
Hurricane Irma: Virgin Islands and Federal Disaster Response Disparities
Hurricane Irma was among the most powerful Atlantic storms ever recorded at the time of landfall. The U.S. Virgin Islands sustained catastrophic damage: Saint John lost 90% of its structures, the power grid was destroyed, and the water supply was disrupted. Federal response, while eventually mobilized, faced significant delays and resource gaps compared to responses to Florida and Texas in the same hurricane season. The Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp criticized the federal response as inadequate. The contrast between response speeds for voting-status U.S. territories (Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico) versus states became a subject of policy debate and congressional hearings.