The British Virgin Islands have a powerful rebuilding advocate in Necker Island owner, BVI resident and billionaire Richard Branson.
In the wake of the storm, Branson shared photos of the damage on Necker Island and reminded his followers that the real issue was not about his island but the recovery of the British Virgin Islands and a renewed focus on climate change.
"Necker damage huge, but BVI #Irma story is not about Necker - about 1000s of people who've lost homes & livelihoods," Branson said on Twitter.
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He bolstered his tweet with a statement on the Virgin website regarding the difficult recovery these islands face.
"This story is about the tens of thousands of people who have lost their homes and their livelihoods," Branson wrote. "We have spent the past two days visiting team members who live on Virgin Gorda and as many people as possible, distributing aid, water and supplies. We have seen firsthand just how ferocious and unforgiving this storm was."
In a blog post on Friday, Branson also called out climate change for its hand in the brutal destruction and called on the world to try and solve this devastating situation for future generations.
"Man-made climate change is contributing to increasingly strong hurricanes causing unprecedented damage. The whole world should be scrambling to get on top of the climate change issue before it is too late - for this generation, let alone the generations to come."
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Branson flew to Puerto Rico after the storm passed in order to further mobilize aid to the British Virgin Islands and assist in rebuilding plans.
Through Branson's foundation, Virgin Unite, funds are being organized to begin the rebuilding effort.
"Virgin Unite is also working with Unite BVI and Virgin Limited Edition to support the local BVI communities. They will be working with local organizations to identify the ongoing needs of affected individuals, families and communities affected by this disaster. We will support the mid to long term efforts on the ground and help provide support as those affected recover from the disaster," Branson writes.
Branson is also using his airline, Virgin Atlantic, to assist the Red Cross in getting supplies to the islands.
"Over the coming weeks, we'll have to assess exactly what is needed. It is clear to me creating jobs is paramount-there will be a huge amount of rebuilding to be done and people will need work to help rebuild their lives as well as their homes," he says in the post.
Branson also asked people to stay safe after reports of civil unrest.
"I urge everybody to stay safe, remain calm and support each other. Help is on its way…"
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