Press Releases

Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett introduced a resolution today asking her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join her in petitioning the United States Government to provide relief and assistance to Dominica after Tropical Storm Erika caused major damage to the Caribbean Island in August.

“Introducing this resolution is an important step in raising awareness to the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Erika and to the rebuilding effort already underway; and I believe it will increase the efforts of our government to provide further assistance,” Plaskett said.

“In meeting with Prime minister Skerrit in Dominica just days after the storm; and more recently with Dominica Ambassador Hubert Charles, it was expressed that the country’s primary needs were for building material, heavy equipment and for geotechnical support. I met with some of my colleagues with the idea to work together to provide assistance from the U.S. Government and also to raise awareness to the fact that this was a tremendous tragedy and that climate change is showing its immediate effect throughout the world and particularly in the Caribbean,” Plaskett said

To date the U.S. Agency for International(USAID) has provided $50,000 for the local procurement of relief items to the Dominica Red Cross Society and have assessment teams on the ground working with the local government to address additional needs as they surface.

Tropical Storm Erica destroyed 371 homes, and washed away bridges and roads, leaving several communities cut off from the rest of the Island. To date, the storm’s toll has left 20 people dead and more than $600 million in infrastructure damages. Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit estimates the damage caused by Tropical Storm Erica has set Dominica’s developmental progress back two decades.

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