Caught in the whirlwind of stormy beaches, flooded resorts and ravaged lands along the Caribbean archipelago, as a by-product of Hurricane Irma, an overwhelming number of US tourists are currently awaiting news from the State Department crisis task force.
Over 2,000 Americans were left stranded by the passage of Hurricane Irma that has flown out of the holiday island of Saint Maarten close to the Air National Guard or being loaded onto the passing cruise vessels.
And, many more tourists are thought to be trapped in this part of the world.
However, the exact numbers are tough to be discovered since the phone and power lines are down as one of the critical after-effects of Irma’s strike.
Right now the focus is transiting towards far-flung resorts. Here, a large number of tourists and expats are waiting for news. Some of them are deprived of the basic amenities like uninterrupted communication. Few more are in urgent requirement of a flight.
There is an air bridge that has been set up by the Kentucky, New York and Puerto Rico National Guard units that is ushering in tourists by the planeload.
In addition, the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines have also picked up many more tourists who had been stranded. Lucia Piazza who is associated with the U.S. State Department said that the absence of appropriate means of communication is one of the most complex challenges in this situation. She heads a team from the office of crisis management support.
She then went on to add that they would be focusing on resources on the British Virgin Islands where they are aware that they have many American citizens in distress.
Maps of the Caribbean islands have been plastered along the walls of the room where staff in headsets and also in front of screens monitor the rotation of the planes and also the collection of stranded families.
A majority of the people picked up in the islands are brought out to San Juan in Puerto Rico on National Guard flights.
The State Department has issued an emergency number and also a switchboard that ranks the incoming calls in three tiers.
