Cuomo Heads To US Virgin Islands To Assess Irma Storm Damage
ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNeYork/AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo is headed to the U.S. Virgin Islands to assess damage from Hurricane Irma and see how New York can assist in the recovery.
Cuomo departed Friday morning for the Caribbean islands and plans return home in the evening. He'll survey the damage at the request of Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp, who noted Cuomo's experience following Superstorm Sandy.
Irma hit the islands on Sept. 6, leaving St. Thomas and St. John heavily damaged. Cuomo said New York stands ready to assist the Virgin islands "in any way we can."
"New Yorkers stand with the U.S. Virgin Islands in their time of need, and it's important to understand the full scope of the destruction in order to provide the kind of targeted assistance that will help the victims of this storm get back on their feet," Cuomo said in a statement.
New York has already deployed Air National Guard aircraft and personnel to the islands to help with search and rescue. Other units have traveled to Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Puerto Rico following hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)