On September 18, Dominica Island was hit hard by Hurricane MARIA, a category 5 hurricane. The government is now working on reconstruction by integrating construction practices that will better resist the climatic hazards of this geographical area.
To date, the main roads have been cleared and are practicable, provided that caution is exercised in certain areas. Administrations, banks and some of the companies were able to reopen their doors as well as some of the schools
The telephone operators Digicel and Flow were able to partially restore access to their network. The power grid is being restored in some areas of Roseau and Portsmouth. Drinking water supply has been restored to date on 55% of the network. Work is underway for a full recovery.
The shipping company l'Express des îles operates services between Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Lucia (connections from Guadeloupe on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). For more information, visit www.express-des-iles.com
Tourist sites are currently closed until their access roads are fully rehabilitated and hiking trail evaluations are underway. Most of the nine dive centres will be operational by next January.
The island had 909 rooms in 73 properties. An evaluation is currently underway to determine the capacity for the next season. Le TAMARIND TREE Hotel located in Salisbury, between Roseau and Portsmouth, has intact accommodations in part of its property ($60 single, $70 double with no breakfast service, no meals and one day/week cleaning).
This item was communicated by the Dominica Tourism Office on 18 October 2017. For real-time information, visit www.authentique-dominique.com or their Facebook @IleDeLaDominique.
