St. Croix, Virgin Islands (U.S.) —Senator Genevieve Whitaker, Vice-Chairwoman of the Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, alarmed by the flooding in the town of Frederiksted following this past Wednesday’s weather event, Thursday, October 14th, reached out to the Department of Public Works (D.P.W.), sending a letter the Commissioner Derek Gabriel concerning the flooding.
Specifically, Senator Whitaker asked Commissioner Gabriel to advise whether the current road construction projects will also address the causing of the flooding in the town, citing the town history with flooding, the deadly 2010 flood, where many people took refuge for safety. Senator Whitaker acknowledged that Commissioner Gabriel responded immediately to her request for information stating that “[t]he current phases of the project only partially address drainage concerns in Frederiksted. We are analyzing more comprehensive ways to address the stormwater drainage system in our historic towns across the Territory, but this will take some time. In addition, we have several collapsed sidewalks, culverts, and inadequate grates and catchments that need to be addressed in Christiansted, Frederiksted, and Charlotte Amalie. To address the immediate need, our operations crews will be out in full force, and, as you know, we’ve been doing our routine hurricane prep by addressing the major guts.”
and Liaison to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs D.P.W
“I continue to exercise my oversight and investigatory responsibilities on behalf of constituents, as this matter is tied to our road infrastructure. In service to my constituents, I consistently engage Department of Public Works
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