NDSU senior Hunter Lanchbury had a scary, ringside seat as powerful Hurricane Irma tore a path of destruction through the islands of the Caribbean Sea.
Lanchbury, a political science major from Bowman, North Dakota, is a participant in the National Student Exchange program, studying at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix campus.
St. Croix is one of the U.S Virgin Islands in the northeastern Caribbean. It has more than 50,000 residents.
Irma pounded St. Croix on Sept. 6, with high winds and driving rains from 7 a.m. until late in the evening. Luckily, the island missed the full force of the storm, which developed into a Category 5 hurricane with winds in excess of 130 m.p.h.
“There was feelings of angst and uncertainty throughout the day; many locals had not gone through a hurricane of this strength before,” Lanchbury said. “Windows were boarded up, houses were sand-bagged and generators were prepared. The governor of the Virgin Islands also implemented a 6 p.m. curfew, as looting was expected to become a problem. Fortunately, it was not.”
Lanchbury, like other students, residents and tourists on the island, had advance warning the storm was approaching. They prepared as best they could.
“I thought it would be a fun experience. As the hurricane strengthened, I began to worry and contemplate if I should have gotten a ticket off the island,” Lanchbury said. “You know this huge storm is coming, but there is really nothing you can do other than wait for it to come and go.”
St. Croix was luckier than many of the islands. Yet, Irma still left significant damage – trees were knocked down, power lines destroyed and buildings’ roofs blown off.
“From talking to local people, it usually takes about five years to recover from a hurricane like this,” Lanchbury said, noting substantial aid is needed for other places in the Caribbean. “St. Thomas and other Islands such as the British Virgin Islands and St. Maartin still have no power or running water and very minimal communications. The state of those islands is horrible.”
The St. Thomas campus of the University of the Virgin Islands was severely damaged and classes may not fully resume for months. In the meantime, the St. Thomas students and personnel are being moved to the St. Croix campus.
“The issue is our residence halls are completely full. So, each room will take in at least one additional roommate,” Lanchbury said. “Our residence hall director told us that many employees on the St. Thomas campus are without homes, there are limited supplies and they have no place to turn. Many professors from there will also be coming to St Croix.”
Power has been restored to the St. Croix campus and Lanchbury’s classes resumed Sept. 12 on a limited basis.
“I am doing well and continuing to enjoy my time on the island,” Lanchbury said. “If anything, this storm just makes my experience more memorable.”