Contact: Elleen Kane FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(301) 713-3086, ext. 100 10/4/95
The National Coastal Management Program, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is coming to the aid of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as the territories recuperate from Hurricane Marilyn.
The national program, run by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management under Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, operates on a $46 million annual budget divided between 29 coastal states and five U.S. territories. The program will provide $86,000 from its budget as emergency aid to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, which participate in the national program.
"We're a small program that makes a big impact on the people who live along the nation's edge," noted Jeffrey R. Benoit, OCRM director. "This storm shows what coastal management is all about."
With the emergency funds provided by the coastal management program, the territories can purchase equipment, supplies and software and conduct aerial photography--all vital to assessing the damage to natural systems and structures. Through this process, the territories can speed reconstruction and ensure rebuilding is completed the smartest way, following sensible coastal policies, so that future storms cause less damage and create less financial burden for taxpayers.
"What we say to people is that there are times you don't want a front row seat. Hurricanes are certainly one of those times," Benoit said. "We recommend that people think about where they place their homes and businesses before they build. The farther inland you build, the less impact coastal storms have. We use the old 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' adage."
Hurricane Marilyn destroyed or severely damaged an estimated 40% of the homes and 80% of businesses on St. Thomas and about 20% of homes and 50% of businesses on the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra. Roads and other infrastructure were also impacted by the storm. Both the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were declared territorial and national disaster areas.
The coastal management program, established by the 1972 Coastal Zone Management Act, creates a partnership between the federal government and coastal states and territories to address nationwide coastal problems, including hurricanes. Under the program, the federal government identifies national goals; states and territories find local ways to meet these goals.
The program pulled together similar emergency funds to assist California and Washington earlier this year in recuperating from flooding and wildfires in coastal communities.