Raleigh woman waits to learn St. Croix family's fate after Hurricane Maria

RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Sheryl Crossley lives in Raleigh but grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and still has family in the U.S. Territory of St. Croix, ravaged by Hurricane Maria.

Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App

After Hurricane Irma struck the island, Crossley was able to quickly get in touch with all of her aunts, uncles, and cousins who live there but that hasn't been the case following Maria.

"You can't reach out to anyone," Crossley said. "The phone lines are down, phone line circuits are busy. There's no electricity. You're on edge and you just need to know what's going on with your people down there. Are they OK?"

As Crossley waits to hear whether all of her extended family members made it safely through the storm, she's been devastated to see the images coming in from flood-ravaged St. Thomas and St. Croix.

"It's like places where we grew up - where you grew up all your life, the buildings, the windows are gone, people's furniture flew out the doors and stuff," Crossley said. "These people have no place to live. They have no place to live."