Severe weather and flash flooding disrupted public operations and travel across St. Thomas and St. John on Monday, prompting the Legislature of the Virgin Islands to send non-essential staff home, Seaborne Airlines to warn of delays and possible cancellations, and emergency alerts to warn residents not to travel unless they were fleeing a flooded area or under an evacuation order.
The developments came as dangerous conditions continued to affect the district, with a flash flood warning alert stating that the National Weather Service had the area under warning until 3:00 p.m. AST and describing the situation as life-threatening.
In a memorandum dated April 13, Acting President Marvin Blyden advised that because of ongoing flash flooding affecting St. Thomas and St. John, and in conjunction with the closure of public schools, all non-essential Central Staff employees of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas and St. John were being placed on administrative leave for the remainder of the day, effective immediately.
Employees were instructed to verify their status with their respective supervisors before leaving their workstations.
The memo states that the action was taken in the interest of public safety and to allow employees adequate time to secure themselves and their families during the weather-related emergency.
Operations at Legislative facilities on St. Thomas and St. John were suspended except for functions deemed essential to security, life safety, and critical maintenance.
Mr. Blyden thanked employees for their cooperation and understanding, and urged them to remain safe and exercise all necessary precautions.
At the same time, Seaborne Airlines issued a weather travel advisory dated April 13, 2026, saying that due to inclement weather conditions in the U.S. Virgin Islands, it was experiencing flight delays and possible cancellations.
The airline advised passengers with questions regarding their flights to contact its reservations team at 1-855-744-9595 or email Customerrelations@seaborneairlines.com with their flight information.
Seaborne apologized for any inconvenience, thanked travelers for their patience, and said safety remains its top priority.
A flash flood warning alert also circulated Monday, advising that a National Weather Service flash flood warning was in effect for the area until 3:00 p.m. AST.
The alert described the situation as dangerous and life-threatening, and warned people not to attempt travel unless they were fleeing an area subject to flooding or were under an evacuation order.
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