SAN ANTONIO – Less than a week after San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan arrived in his homeland in the U.S. Virgin Islands for Hurricane Irma relief efforts, Hurricane Maria made landfall as a Category 5, battering the already devastated Caribbean region.
On Wednesday, Duncan appeared live on The Weather Channel to talk about his “21 US Virgin Island Relief Fund” he established shortly after Hurricane Irma.
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Retired NBA star and St. Croix native, @TimDuncan talks about the state of his hometown and how to help. Stay tuned for live #Maria updates pic.twitter.com/QHK1PraS8V
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) September 20, 2017
Duncan, born and raised in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, said he toured the island when he arrived Sept. 15 and witnessed “destruction everywhere.”
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“Trees down, all the electric poles were down, debris everywhere, houses were gone, cars flooded, (and) a lot more flooding today in St. Thomas,” Duncan said via Skype on The Weather Channel.
Day 1- 20,000 lbs of food distributed today, And another plane just unloaded. Ready for tomorrow! 😎#usvirginislands #HurricaneIrma pic.twitter.com/Kzg5m0YdJ4
— Tim Duncan Foundation (@DuncanRelief) September 15, 2017
Duncan’s interview comes one day after Hurricane Maria battered the Virgin Islands and surrounding islands with the storm's eyewall passing near St. Croix directly, with maximum sustained winds around 160 miles per hour.
UPDATE ON KSAT.COM: Hurricane Maria downgraded to Category 2
According to ABC news, Nykile Tyson, a spokeswoman at the U.S. Virgin Islands Emergency Operations Center, said there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries on St. Croix.
A Rare Event: #Maria & #Irma
— Sarah Spivey (@Sarah__Spivey) September 19, 2017
First time there have been two Cat 5 storms in Atlantic since 2007.
Maria's path compared to Irma's -#KSATwx pic.twitter.com/g8LngrPHCP
However, Tyson said it was still too dangerous Wednesday to conduct a thorough search of the island, according to ABC.
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Duncan said he has been in touch with a couple people who live in the surrounding area but communication with family and friends who live in St. Croix has been difficult.
“I’ve been in touch with a couple people, not much in St. Croix right now (as) there’s a lot of communication problems. So far, I’ve heard about roofs being torn off houses and things of that nature,” Duncan said on The Weather Channel.
Link to donate: https://t.co/wdcnKB5AGD https://t.co/02K4Q2VlTZ
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) September 20, 2017
Duncan’s “21 US Virgin Island Relief Fund” has collected more than $2.5 million in donations with a goal of $5 million.
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“We are collecting supplies, we are looking for corporations to help us raise money and to get planes to get the product out there in a timely fashion,” Duncan said.
Here is a video of the devastation before Hurricane Maria. We must do more to help our fellow citizens. #USVIStrong #Onenation #Onefamily pic.twitter.com/B4Oysyqo9b
— Tim Duncan Foundation (@DuncanRelief) September 20, 2017
According to the Twitter page for Duncan’s relief fund, he is scheduled to appear on Anderson Cooper’s 360 show that airs on CNN at 7 p.m. ET.
To learn more about how you can donate to Duncan’s Hurricane relief efforts, follow the link.