Halloween has come and gone, the World Series is over, Thanksgiving isn't too far off...and the recovery efforts are ongoing at National Park System units in the Caribbean.
"Restaurants are opening up and there are several places to buy groceries," Murray Shoemaker, a National Park Service public information officer temporarily based on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands said Sunday in an email. "Power is coming back...slowly. Many places are still on generators, meaning cold water showers and limited lights."
The 110-foot Motor Vessel Fort Jefferson, from Dry Tortugas National Park, has been providing support to the parks in the Caribbean since it sailed from Key West, Florida on September 25. It brought 24 tons of critical supplies from the mainland, destined for Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John and Christiansted National Historic Site on the island of St. Croix. Since that initial trip, the Fort Jefferson continues shuttling supplies, equipment and personnel among the parks.
Also assisting the Caribbean parks has been the Los Diablos Fire Crew. The 23-person crew is part of the Big Bend National Park Wildland Fire Program in Texas, with most of the crew members from the Mexican states of Coahuila and Chihuahua. They are assisting with park employee housing and facility stabilization, as well as cutting, clearing and stacking debris from roads, trails and beaches.
Before the Los Diablos crew arrived, the Arrowhead Hotshots from Sequoia-Kings Canyon national parks spent time clearing away fallen trees in the park.
For boaters heading to St. John, know that many of the more than 400 buoys, channel markers, and navigational aids maintained by Virgin Islands National Park were either completely lost or moved off station during the hurricanes. Navigational aids and channel markers are the first priority for re-positioning or replacement and work is underway. Johnsons Reef buoys are being repositioned this week.
On Puerto Rico, San Juan National Historic Site was ready to reopen as soon as electricity was restored.
Meanwhile, at Everglades National Park in Florida, the main park road to Flamingo has reopened. Although the boat ramps at Flamingo are open, no services (e.g. restrooms, fuel, marina store, concession tours) are available. Campgrounds at Flamingo also remain closed until further notice.
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