By the Caribbean Journal staff

Hurricane Irma caused “devastating” destruction in the British Virgin Islands when it hit the territory, the BVI’s Tourist Board said in a statement.

“The destruction caused by Hurricane Irma in the British Virgin Islands has been devastating. With cell phone towers down and power outages, it has been difficult to receive communication from within the territory, and to fully assess the damage,” said British Virgin Islands Director of Tourism Sharon Flax-Brutus. The destination has lost entire structures and many homes are without roofs, or have been diminished to merely foundations. Sadly, there may have been fatalities in the territory, but there are none confirmed at this time as we are still in the assessment process, which has been a challenge due to lack of communication.”

The government has begun coordinating humanitarian relief efforts and an initial clean-up operation.

Additionally, the United Kingdom government is sending Royal Navy Flagship HMS Ocean to offer relief and support.

The BVI said it was also watching Hurricane Jose, a Category 3 storm that is slated to reach the area over the weekend.

“We are doing our best to make sure people in the BVI are making safety a priority,” the BVI said.

Those looking to make donations can send them to the BVI Recovery Fund.

“We want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support for the BVI community,” Flax-Brutus said. “The people of the British Virgin Islands are resilient and we are confident we will be able to rebuild.”