MINNEAPOLIS - Evan Moyle can finally relax and enjoy his wedding day.
He spoke with KARE 11 Friday, the day before he was supposed to get married, about his concern for his mother, Sherri.
"My mom lives in St. John, which is one of the US Virgin Islands. She's on the back side of the island about a half hour drive into the country," Evan said.
Sherri, who is originally from Duluth, was scheduled to fly back to Minnesota on Wednesday, but the flight was canceled ahead of Hurricane Irma. The category 5 later devastated portions of St. John and St. Thomas, where the airport is located.
"She's supposed to have a flight (Friday). As I understand it, the airport down there is closed," he said. "Tomorrow is not going to be the same at all, not knowing where she is, if she's safe, how she's doing. I know that she had told us that she would probably be able to get to a satellite phone yesterday to call us but, so far, no call."
On Saturday, though, Evan told KARE 11 he finally heard from his mom.
"Just got a choppy satellite call from mom hard to understand but she said she is ok, her house is standing, and just to concentrate on my bride today," he said in a text message.
Evan told KARE 11 previously that he believed she had made it to one of the shelters in a remote part of the island, but they had not confirmed.
Now although Evan's mother will not be able to be present at his wedding, at least he knows she's safe.
"Quite the tear jerker," he told KARE 11 in a text.
Evan says his family's struggle is common following the storm. He says communication from the islands has been spotty, meaning updates on the recovery and damage are painfully slow. He said he hopes nobody overlooks the many American citizens call the U.S. Virgin Islands home.
The family has relied on a News of St. John Facebook page to help get information from the island.