A team of Belco linemen will jet to the British Virgin Islands today to help with hurricane repairs.

The crew will work with the BVI Electric Company to restore the power grid hammered by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Vice-president of grid operations Dennis Pimentel said: “I am extremely proud of these guys. This is no small task and will not be undertaken in an environment of comfort.

“Their expertise is going to be used to bring back some sense of hope to BVI residents as they work through the rebuilding of infrastructure and restoration of power.”

The team will include foreman Chad Brimmer, Grade 1 linemen John Martin, Shawn Wade, Sherman Trott and linemen apprentices Marcus Astwood and Stevon Trott. They will spend the next four weeks working with the BVI Electric Company to rebuild electricity infrastructure and restore electricity.

Belco responded to an urgent support request from the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

The Category 5 storm, which had winds of 185mph, caused widespread, devastation in the Caribbean.

The team was scheduled

to depart from Bermuda on September 16 but the trip was delayed because of the impending impact of Hurricane Maria.

The utility company also wanted to ensure the team’s safety and that Bermuda had enough manpower in case the storm headed towards the island.

New travel arrangements were made as soon as Carilec gave the go-ahead.

Maria was downgraded to a tropical storm yesterday, but the Bermuda Weather Service still classed the system as a potential threat.

The storm was 425 nautical miles west-northwest of Bermuda at 6pm, heading north at 7mph with winds of 70mph and gusts.

Maria’s closest point within three days is forecast to be 296 nautical miles to the island’s north-northwest at 12am on Friday. But the BWS warned it could come closer after that.

Hurricane Lee, which reached Category 2 strength on Monday night, is also considered a potential threat to the island.

The storm was 380 nautical miles east of Bermuda at 6pm, moving west at 8mph.

Lee is expected to move to the northeast in the coming days, making its closest point of approach at 3am tomorrow, when it is predicted to pass 380 nautical miles to the island’s east.