HOMELESSNESS

In addition to debris removal, general clean-up, and repairing the infrastructure, an even bigger issue for the St. Maarten gov't will be dealing with the newly homeless population. What will they do - erect barrack style housing or set up refugee style camps? It all takes time and money.
Another problem will be unemployment. Obviously, a lot of people will no longer have jobs or incomes? What provisions will the gov't make for that?
Finally, there could be a vermin infestation (and in this case I'm not talking about the human vermin marauders).
This is going to be a big, big job. I hope they're up to it.

I agree with you. Irma probably caused 90% of all employees to lose their jobs. And those jobs are not coming back overnight. Some people may leave the island and the population may shrink. However, the problem remains that there are thousands of newly unemployed people who need food, shelter, health care etc. St Maarten's most serious problems have just begun.

There will be a huge demand for cleanup and construction labor. Hopefully residents will be given priority for these jobs until their regular jobs re-emerge. I suspect there isn't enough labor available on the island for all of the repairs. This will also be a good opportunity for un-skilled labor to develop a trade to support island construction going forward. If done correctly employment could be enhanced in the future.

Precisely. When life gives you lemons...

I hope some funding comes in, either private or public, to begin clean up. All of that debris needs to be removed and either recycled or destroyed. I can only imagine that much of that debris is truly reusable. If I had the ability and means I would start sending heavy equipment in to clear the roads, then begin the arduous process of sorting recyclable from non recyclable. The corporations that start sending equipment might be able to recoup some costs by sending recyclable materials to other countries to process. The construction debris is an entirely different animal. Maybe some of it can be used as fill material rather than being sent to the landfill. Once that is done then I'd look to start the rebuilding first using local talent already there. During this clean up period would be a great time to start a training program to take non skilled residents and give them a trade to learn. It's going to be a looonnng time but I have faith in our SXM friends.