Trump reportedly will visit the U.S. Virgin Islands as residents of the devastated territory beg for help

An aerial view of St. Thomas after Hurricane Irma.

(Image credit: Youtube/Associated Press)

published 12 September 2017

President Trump will travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands within the next week "to see firsthand the damages of the territory" after Hurricane Irma, Gov. Kenneth Mapp (I) said Monday.

The U.S. Virgin Islands took a heavy hit by the superstorm, which was a Category 5 when it swept through the Caribbean. The aftermath has left the territory "like a war zone," residents told BuzzFeed News, with congressional representative Stacey Plaskett informing MSNBC that "we've lost about 70 percent of our infrastructure and utility system on St. Thomas and all our utility system on the island of St. John."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox