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Felt silly for possibly thinking we should leave. we have a 1-year-old, as a mother, like, you want to get your child out of harm's way. we waited. we waited. by the time we thought maybe this was the best route, it was just too expensive to leave. and there weren't a flight out. when you're on a island like st. thomas, you can't just drive away. if the flights are goecne, theye gone and you're stuck. we spent the whole day, 12 hours in our basement with another family with a 1-year-old. so four adults, two 1-year-olds. we -- i -- i can't say i've ever been more terrified in my life. felt like...

To have. i have a the lot of diapers. i'm hoping we have enough formula. i'm hoping she doesn't get ill. we don't have access -- our hospital is gone. even if it wasn't gone, it would probably be a good half day's hike up a mountain from where we live. we just hope no one gets ill or sick or injured in our house because we have no access. >> laura, we wish you the best. laura strictling in st. thomas. she rode the storm out. jose is coming right behind. thank you very much for joining us. when we come back, in the bath path of a deadly storm, as miami braces for a direct hit, scientists are ...

Importantly, ferry service has been restored win wi ed which w first responders and relief supplies to get to the places they're most needed. >> admiral brown, you're responsible for operations in puerto rico, u.s. virgin islands. cnn is learning four people have died in the u.s. virgin islands. you've begun damage assessment. what are you seeing there? >> certainly st. john and st. thomas, the northernmost of the u.s. virgin islands were the hardest hit and there is significant structural and property damage there. we do have coast guard officers embedded with virgin islands territory emergen...

Low-lying lands. we need people to get out of there because the water is truly a life-threatening part of this storm. >> all right. thank you, admiral brown, i appreciate it. we'll talk to you soon. i want to turn to laura, a resident of st. thomas who rode out hurricane irma, is bracing for hurricane jose. laura joins us by phone. thank you so much. how are you doing? >> we've been better. >> yeah, you've been in st. thomas and you have seen what irma did firsthand. so explain to us what it was like the days leading up to this storm and did you get a lot of information? >> so much tension. in...

The maritime transportation system, that is the economic arteries of the islands that move critical commodities and people back and forth. >> admiral, in terms of damage, is the bigger concern the winds or the storm surge? what are you concerned about? >> well, there's a saying that you run from the water and you hide from the wind. so, ultimately, the water can -- the force of the water can produce much more damage than wind force can, although spectacularly strong winds can produce damage like we saw in barbuda and st. martin. so we're very fortunate in puerto rico and even st. thomas which ...