Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE is encouraging Territory-wide participation in the observation of the 1^st anniversary of Hurricane Irma.

The Government of the Virgin Islands will observe the occasion on Thursday, September 6 under the theme, ‘Service of Thanksgiving, Reflection and Restoration’.

The event will be commemorated through a series of reflections through song, dance and remarks.

Premier Smith is encouraging Territory-wide participation in this event at a place and time to be confirmed.

The Premier said, “After the unparalleled destruction caused by Hurricane Irma, it’s important that we reflect on our progression and thank God for his mercies.”

He added, “We recognise the ways in which Hurricane Irma affected the lives of everyone in our community and commemorating it cannot be done in a vacuum.

The Premier said his government welcomes the opportunity to partner with the community in its plans to observe the historic day.

The public is also being encouraged to commemorate the day through community outreach programmes, social events or conducting activities at church, home, schools or places of business.

Premier said, “The vision for a future BVI will be built around our most important resource: our people. The resilience and faith instilled in our DNA by our ancestors has brought us through many challenges. Our future vision will therefore be built around the lessons we have learned from our shared experiences immediately following Hurricane Irma.”

On September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma affected the lives and livelihoods of the Territory’s residents. The event resulted in significant damages which exceeded the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the British Virgin Islands and caused widespread damage to the housing stock, road infrastructure, ports, telecommunications, electrical infrastructure and critical facilities. Four lives were lost and 125 persons were injured in the devastation.