Hurricane Marilyn Smashes Into Virgin Islands

Trees crashed, power failed and roiling seas flooded a waterfront Friday as the Virgin Islands took a direct hit from Hurricane Marilyn’s howling 100-mph winds and 12-foot waves.

Marilyn, the fourth hurricane to hit the Caribbean in as many weeks, struck as islanders on St. Croix still were repairing the damage wrought by Hurricane Luis with its 140-mph winds last week.

It then headed toward eastern Puerto Rico, including the islands of Culebra and Vieques. Residents in San Juan nailed windows and doors shut and bedded down to wait out the storm.

In St. Croix, Marilyn’s winds ripped galvanized steel roofs off some homes and toppled the radio tower of WTSX, the Virgin Islands’ main radio station, Gov. Roy L. Schneider told radio station WSTA 1000 in St. Thomas.

“We’ve just gotten plastered by this thing,” said ham radio operator Herb Schoenbaum.

Marilyn’s eye passed right over St. Croix. “It’s dead calm,” Lt. Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp told the radio station.

The following fields overflowed: DATELINE = CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS