Stabilizing Communications After Category 5 Hurricanes

In September 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the British Virgin Islands, causing island-wide damage and knocking out power, utilities, and core communications infrastructure. The Premier, Dr. D. Orlando Smith, was leading a high‑pressure response and recovery effort amid intense international attention and deep local uncertainty.

What Barnes & Co did:

1. Stepped in as de facto communications lead during the Virgin Islands’ most significant crisis in modern times.
2. Established a daily public briefing that shared government decisions, service updates, and recovery information with residents and media.
3. Crafted daily remarks and talking points for the Premier for press engagements, public addresses, and diplomatic meetings.
4. Convened financial services, banks, and insurance companies to align around reactivating the local economy and accelerating insurance payouts to homeowners.
5. Designed low‑tech, improvised communication channels to reach the public while formal broadcast and digital systems were being restored.

Project Impact

• Stabilized public information flows in the aftermath of the BVI’s most destructive modern hurricane.
• Helped the Premier manage international scrutiny, negotiations with the United Kingdom, and engagement with regional governments and NGOs.
• Supported faster economic reactivation by bringing key financial stakeholders into coordinated recovery conversations.