Power restored at hospital, sections of Road Town

Electricity was restored to the Peebles Hospital and sections of Road Town last evening as the Government ramps up recovery efforts following the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma last week.

Premier Dr D Orlando Smith – while stating that regular water supply will follow – said the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) was able to restore power to the hospital after it was successful in getting two of its power stations back into operation.

“The Pockwood Pond plant is now up and running and so is the Long Bush sub-station. This means power in our capital of Road Town in areas such as Main Street, Wickhams’s Cay, and at Peebles Hospital has now been restored,” Dr Smith said during his daily briefing yesterday.

He added: “Along with external support, our engineers at BVIEC have made significant progress in their assessment of our electrical infrastructure and continue to work to bring our islands out of the darkness that Hurricane Irma has left us.”

Work is now being done on other power plants on Tortola. Dr Smith said regular water supply will be restored once these plants come online.

“BVIEC will be concentrating on getting electricity to the Paraquita Bay and Bar Bay plants, so that those two plants are operational in order for residents along those water routes to have a steady supply of portable water very soon.”

Operation at the territory’s power stations was disrupted after Hurricane Irma struck the territory last week. The Category 5 storm also caused severe damage to utility poles, pipelines, and other infrastructure territory-wide.

Minister of Communications and Works Mark Vanterpool projected that full electricity will be restored in Road Town in roughly two months. He said it will take about six months for the rest of the territory to get power.