Hurricane Dorian – two years on from Hurricanes Irma and Maria
Our hearts go out to all of those who have been impacted by Hurricane Dorian, which has already caused so much sorrow and continues to do so. Hurricane Dorian churned through the BVI last week, bringing strong winds and rain, but we were very fortunate to miss the worst of the storm.
Brightline, soon to be Virgin Trains USA is partnering with Tropic Ocean Airways and Blue Tide Marine to transport much-needed supplies to those devastated by Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas. Thank you to everyone within the South Florida community who has been dropping off water, food, medicine, generators and other items at Brightline stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
Brightline will ensure all supplies are promptly delivered to the most impacted regions in The Bahamas, and has asked riders and residents to carefully review the donations request list to ensure only the most needed supplies are dropped off at Brightline stations.
Strangely enough, today marks two years since Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the BVI, causing devastation that was hard to comprehend. Having seen the unbelievable damage these ferocious hurricanes can do first-hand, all of my thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Dorian.
Hurricane Dorian is another sad reminder that man-made climate change is contributing to increasingly strong hurricanes, which are causing unprecedented damage. The whole world should be doing everything possible to get on top of the climate crisis before it is too late for this generation, let alone the generations to come.
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), which merged with Virgin Unite-incubated non-profit The Carbon War Room, is a proud partner of the local utility - Bahamas Power and Light - and the Government of The Bahamas. Since 2014, RMI has supported The Bahamas with project development and deployment, including the region’s first Category 5 solar canopy car park and microgrid, and resilient energy planning. To learn more about how RMI is joining together with its partners in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, and how you can get involved, take a look at Building Back Better: A Call to Action for a Resilient and Renewable Future for The Bahamas.
For those who have been hit hardest, it will be very hard to feel hopeful. But there is always hope. With so much lost after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, we knew the journey to recovery would be a challenging one for the British Virgin Islands, but with our foundations Virgin Unite and Unite BVI, we were determined to help the region get back on its feet.
I’ll share more on what we have been doing in the BVI next week, from immediate disaster relief efforts to community, education, entrepreneurship and the environment initiatives.