In many ways, it's better. The community is tighter than ever before. The federal, regional, and local governments spent countless hours and dollars pushing for a fast recovery. The National Park beaches and trails were open sooner than anyone thought.

But, there are some short-term changes: many palm trees were damaged or destroyed. Some are being replanted, some will grow back. A few of your favorite bars or restaurants might not be fully open, although a great number are. Cinnamon Bay campground is going to take a while to rebuild. Some boats were lost, but many more are back on moorings and ready to take you out on the water for the day (or longer).

We've been on island for a week or more every month since August 2017 (we were the last 'guests' at Great Expectations before the storm). September was rough. October was a little better - plenty of food and mostly supplies, but still no power. November got better as downtown got power consistently and cell phone service improved. December saw a major improvement with consistent power on most of the island and a constant flow of goods (and tourists). The winter of 2018/19 was great with beautiful weather, open beaches, and blue water. While rain was a little scare in the beginning of 2019, some nice May rain has brought the island back to it’s wonderful tropical green glory.