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1 2 Bill No. 36-0026 An Act amending title 23 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 10, by adding a subchapter VI to establish the “Virgin Islands Meteorological Office” within the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency PRESENTED BY Ovid J. Williams ASSISTANT DIRECTOR VIRGIN ISLANDS TERRITORIAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Submitted to SENATOR AVERY L. LEWIS, CHAIRMAN Senate Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs, Consumer Protection Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands May 20, 2025 2 | P a g e Good morning, Senator Avery L Lewis, Chairman, Committee on Government 3 Operations, Veterans Affairs, Consumer Protection, other committee members, 36th 4 Legislature Staff, and those in the viewing and listening audience. 5 I am Ovid J. Williams, Assistant Director of the Virgin Islands Territorial 6 Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA). I am providing testimony today to 7 Bill No. 36-0026, an act amending title 23 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 10, by 8 adding a subchapter VI to establish the “Virgin Islands Meteorological Office” 9 within the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency dated 10 February 27, 2025, sponsored by Senator Ray Fonseca. 11 12 VITEMA already maintains a strong relationship with the National Weather 13 Service in San Juan, Puerto and a Virgin Islands Meteorological Office at 14 VITEMA with appropriate technical staff would serve to enhance that relationship, 15 based on recent discussion with the leadership of the National Weather Service in 16 San Juan. Not only does the National Weather Service provide VITEMA 24-hour 17 telephone support and Emergency Alert Service messages to smartphones 18 throughout the US Virgin Islands, but it also provides as needed, virtual meeting 19 capability with Government Agency Officials, and provides its written products on 20 social media and hosts on-line meetings in English and Spanish. 21 22 One of the greatest benefits of adding meteorologists to the VITEMA team is to 23 provide much needed technical input to San Juan National Weather Service for 24 timely notification of weather conditions to St Croix, St Thomas, St John and 25 Water Island based on the input from local observations in the Territory. With 26 input on existing treat conditions from a VITEMA meteorologist, severe weather 27 3 | P a g e warnings could go out earlier from the National Weather Service on VITEMA’s 28 Alert VI mass message notification system, NWS wireless Emergency Alert 29 System, and the NOAA 24-hour weather radio broadcasting from the one (1) tower 30 located on the east end of St. Thomas at frequency 162.475 Mhz. 31 32 As to the inclusion of a doppler radar located on St. Croix, unfortunately the 33 construction of the new VITEMA Emergency Operations Center at Hermon Hill 34 on St. Croix, using FEMA Hazard Mitigation Funds, is several years behind 35 schedule, and is currently only at 30% design. VITEMA cannot provide an 36 anticipated date of availability and recommends partnership with NWS for 37 identification of alternate locations on St. Thomas or St Croix. 38 39 Besides an improved Territorial weather forecast linked to the National Weather 40 Service, these positions in the VITEMA Meteorological Office would also be 41 responsible for coordinating with multiple Federal and Caribbean agencies on the 42 maintenance of critical weather-related instruments located here in the Territory. 43 These instruments monitor atmospheric weather conditions, marine conditions, 44 changes in sea levels indicating potential tsunami, and seismic sensors detecting 45 earthquakes. With proper training and coordination with the National Weather 46 Service, VITEMA meteorological staff could release daily weather balloons, which 47 provide real time information to San Juan for more accurate weather forecast to our 48 islands. The VITEMA meteorologist can also conduct education outreach to 49 schools to further provide awareness on the science behind our unique weather 50 conditions such as Saharan dust, hurricanes, droughts, floods, volcanic ash, 51 sargassum, and earthquakes, just to name a few. These positions could also provide 52 4 | P a g e education on the role of the hurricane hunter aircraft, which fly out of St. Croix 53 during tropical storms and hurricanes. 54 55 As to funding any meteorologist positions, a competitive salary is required to draw 56 and retain qualified individuals, recurring visits for training and coordination to the 57 National Weather Service, educational outreach material, travel between islands to 58 support weather instrument maintenance and outreach, and equipment for daily 59 weather balloon release and reporting of data. Due to the duties of the 60 meteorological office staff, vehicles would be required for both St Croix and St 61 Thomas. As VITEMA currently does not possess funding for the portions of 62 Atmospheric Scientist, Meteorologist, or Meteorological Assistant, other funding 63 sources would need to be identified to maintain a Meteorological Office for the 64 territory. 65 66 Thank you for the opportunity to present testimony on Bill No. 36-0026. In 67 summary, VITEMA recommends the inclusion of a Meteorological Office, with 68 recommended staffed positions, but does not support the doppler radar as there is 69 no current location available for deployment or available funding. I would request 70 that the Bill Sponsor, Senator Ray Fonseca, consider amending Bill No. 36-0026 as 71 such. I am prepared to answer any questions any members of this committee may 72 have at this time. 73