Troops Sent In After Hurricane Leave St. Croix

The U.S. military presence on St. Croix ended Saturday, three months after President Bush sent troops to restore order on the island beset by looting after being devastated by Hurricane Hugo.

The last of a contingent of 280 Washington-based National Guard troops flew out of the island territory aboard C-130 and C-141 military cargo planes, taking with them dozens of military vehicles and heavy equipment.

The Guard members arrived in November to replace the 1,100 regular Army combat troops ordered in days after the Sept. 17 hurricane that destroyed or damaged 95% of the island’s buildings.

The National Guard had continued to help local authorities restore services and investigate hundreds of cases of looting and rioting in the aftermath of Hugo.

A senior officer of the Virgin Islands National Guard, who asked not to be identified, said Saturday that the police and local Guard can now handle the situation.

Hugo’s more than 100-m.p.h. winds caused up to $1 billion in damages and left 45,000 people homeless, Virgin Islands Gov. Alexander Farrelly said.

The disaster was aggravated by hundreds of people rushing to loot stores damaged by the storm.

Amid reports that police and local National Guard took part in looting, Bush sent troops to restore order and FBI agents to help investigate theft.

About 20 people have been arrested and charged with looting, including a police captain and the vice president of a local bank, police said.

An 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew remains in effect, police said.

Power authority officials said 40% of the 24,000 customers on St. Croix have electricity restored and more than 2,000 reconnections are being made weekly by the 400 linesmen.