[SFDXA] KP2 info

[Pete Rimmel N8PR]

Hi Bill et. al.

I have been in touch with Fred (NP2X) and some others on St. Croix, they
got hit pretty hard - pretty much like Hugo of 1989. Fred says they hope to
have power restored to 90% of the island by Xmas. (sounds like a long time,
but that's the way it was with us - 3-1/2 months without power!) Generators
get a good workout.

They are getting cell service restored so communication via that method
should be available before long. St. Thomas and St. John really got hit
hard by Irma, while Maria got St. Croix.


They have a curfew in effect from 9AM to 4PM on St. John and St. Thomas
while a noon to 4PM curfew remains on St. Croix (that's right, only 4
hours!). There is a heavy FEMA presence at the airport on St. Croix (I
imagine the same on St. Thomas) and heavy police presence at gas stations
and stores. Looting and vandalism is a problem.


There are no gas shortages on St. Croix, just a distribution problem during
non curfew hours. I don't know about St. Thomas. The old Hess refinery on
St. Croix is being used as a oil and gas storage facility. MRE's (meals
ready to eat) are being widely distributed so there is no food shortage,
per se.


The VI of course is much smaller than Puerto Rico and St. Croix and St.
Thomas are roughly the same size as far a population goes so while damage
was roughly the same as PR, the smaller islands are better able to cope
than the huge island of Puerto Rico.


Building construction is probably a lot more robust in the VI than on PR
because of the number of times the VI has been hit when PR only took a
glancing blow (so as to speak). Maria, however, took out the complete power
grid in PR, virtually all of the infrastructure - that coupled with the
less than optimum construction methods, the mountainous terrain, the higher
population and the sheer size of the island make things ever so much more
severe.


Fred sustained substantial damage on his antenna system. A leg on one of
his towers has a 2" gap (tower is guyed so it's still up) and another tower
has been twisted in one form or another. All of the antennas are history.
House sustained some damage but still livable, generator is now working and
everybody is okay which is the important thing.


So that's about the state of the state as I know it, maybe that answered
some questions.


73,
John, NP2B
(permanently relocated the past 5 years in Florida)