St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Carriacou, and Petit Martinique, along with Jamaica, bore the brunt of Hurricane Beryl’s fury, with Dominica, St. Lucia, and Barbados also feeling the storm’s impact. Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, who has assumed the chairmanship of the 15-member regional integration movement, outlined the extensive damage on the Grenadine islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique.
“Ninety percent of all buildings on these islands were destroyed,” Prime Minister Mitchell reported. “Homes, schools, commercial buildings, shops, the airport, port facilities, marinas, gas stations, the hospital, health centers, community centers—all severely damaged. The road infrastructure, the shoreline, the coastline, the economic sectors have been reduced to zero. Carriacou and Petit Martinique are primarily fishing and agricultural communities.”
“The boats, engines, and fishing equipment were all destroyed,” Mitchell continued. “Livestock were badly affected, with many animals dying. In summary, the agriculture sector, fishing sector, marine industry, businesses, and tourism were all badly devastated by Hurricane Beryl.”
Similarly, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines shared the experiences of his citizens on Canouan, Mayreau, and Union Island. In the archipelago of 32 islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, nine of which are inhabited, five of the southernmost islands suffered severe devastation.
“Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, and the resort islands of Mustique and Palm Island were hit hard. Further north, the main Grenadine island of Bequia, while not as devastated as the southern islands, still saw extraordinary damage and loss,” Prime Minister Gonsalves stated. “The main island of St. Vincent also suffered significant damage and loss.”
Grenada is hosting the CARICOM summit, which coincides with its 50th anniversary of political independence from Britain. Prime Minister Mitchell emphasized the importance of showing the world that Grenada is open for business despite the impact of Hurricane Beryl. The ceremonial opening of the summit takes place on Sunday, with usual agenda items including agri-food security, the CARICOM single market and economy, as well as Haiti and regional transportation.
CARICOM Assistant Secretary General Elizabeth Solomon expressed optimism about the developments in Haiti. “This meeting will demonstrate how effective we have been, especially in the last year. The commitment made by CARICOM heads of government to support Haiti through a difficult period has led to significant progress. We now have a Haitian-led, Haitian-owned process with a transitional presidential council and prime minister in place, entirely due to the efforts of Caribbean heads of government.”
During the opening ceremony, the Order of the Caribbean Community will be conferred on former West Indies cricket captain Sir Clive Lloyd of Guyana and Jamaican-born former CARICOM Secretary General Roderick Rainford. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland, is the summit’s special guest.
On Saturday, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) dispatched a specialised team to Jamaica to aid in post-Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts. The team, consisting of seven power line technicians and one line supervisor, will assist the Jamaica Public Service (JPS), the sole distributor of electricity in Jamaica.
Hurricane Beryl wreaked havoc and swept through Jamaica on July 3 and 4, 2024, as a Category 4 storm, causing extensive damage to residential and commercial properties, as well as critical sections of the island’s power infrastructure.
The BEL team, including Ronald Young, Sergio Esquivel, Jeser Gonzalez, Manuel Lopez, Paul McCalla, Javier Montero, Errol Reneau, and Edward Sutherland, will collaborate with counterparts from other Caribbean nations under the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC). The team’s mission will focus on restoring both high- and low-voltage networks and service lines essential for re-establishing electricity supply across affected areas.
The team is scheduled to return on August 10, 2024.
The first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Beryl, was historic.
Hurricane Beryl has affected numerous countries and territories, including Barbados, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), and Trinidad and Tobago. As of July 4th, the storm has tragically caused ten fatalities across the Caribbean—three in Grenada, SVG, and Venezuela, respectively, and one in Jamaica—alongside five reported missing.
On July 1, Beryl made landfall on Grenada’s Carriacou Island, unleashing its fury as a Category 4 hurricane. Fueled by unusually warm ocean temperatures, Beryl underwent remarkably rapid and unexpected strengthening.
It quickly surged to become the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane ever recorded, surpassing Hurricane Dennis in 2005.
Beryl also broke records by becoming the earliest Category 5 hurricane by over two weeks and ranks as the third earliest major hurricane recorded in the Atlantic. Only two storms, Alma in 1966 and Audrey in 1957, formed earlier in the season.
Beryl became the earliest June major hurricane to develop east of the Lesser Antilles, surpassing Hurricane Audrey’s 1957 record. Its wind speeds dramatically escalated from 65 mph on June 29 to 130 mph on June 30, a rapid intensification of 95 mph in just 42.5 hours.
The destruction
Hurricane Beryl shredded through the Caribbean after making landfall on Grenada’s Carriacou Island as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on July 1. Beryl’s destruction of Carriacou and Petite Martinique is unimaginable. It is, however, real. Officials painted a grim picture: almost every structure on the islands, where 9,000 to 10,000 people reside, lay in ruins. Structures were completely flattened. Among the casualties were Carriacou’s essential Princess Royal Hospital, its airport, and its marinas. Both islands languished in darkness, cut off from the world with no electricity and communications in shambles in the aftermath.
Simon Springett, UN Resident Coordinator in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, via video link from Grenada, said, “The entire island is completely affected… that is literally 100 percent of the population.”
A day after the passage of Hurricne Beryl, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell addressed the nation. He said, “The situation is grim.”
Beryl caused widespread destruction in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). According to the Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, 90% of the homes on Union Island suffered severe damage or complete destruction. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that approximately 200,000 people have been affected in both Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. Media reports indicate that around 1,752 individuals in SVG are currently housed in 71 public hurricane shelters. The hurricane also caused significant damage to hundreds of homes, as well as government buildings and multiple churches in Saint Vincent. PM Gonsalve did a fly-over to see the extent of Beryl’s devastation.
Colvin Harry is a journalist working for NBC Radio in SVG. He covered the passage of Hurricane Beryl and continues to report on the devastation left behind. While he understood his responsibility as a journalist, Harry said it was a “scary point for us.”
Beryl struck Barbados on July 1. The Barbados Red Cross reported that around 208,200 people, or nearly 74% of the total population, felt the storm’s effects. Initial assessments revealed that 40 homes sustained damage, including roof loss, partial collapse, and leaks. Boats at the Bridgetown marina were damaged.
Beryl grew in strength as it neared Jamaica. Now, a powerful and dangerous Category 5, Beryl barreled towards Jamaica. It brushed Jamaica’s coast on July 3 as a CAT 4. In its wake, devastation. The storm delivered strong winds, hazardous storm surges, and widespread power outages to Kingston. Beryl, boasting sustained winds of 110 mph, was moving in a west-northwest direction and was forecast to retain hurricane intensity as it neared the Yucatan Peninsula. This prompted warnings and watches along the coastline.
Camol Walker was on the fifth floor of his apartment building when Beryl struck.
Signs of a Worsening Climate
Over the past year, the world’s oceans have experienced an unusual heating event. Since March 2023, global sea surface temperatures have hit record highs daily and remained elevated. As of 2024, temperatures are even higher than those in 2023. And warm water is fuel for hurricanes. Experts believe that this directly contributed to Beryl’s quick intensification.
Regional Coordinator for Climate Tracker Caribbean, Dizzanne Billy, told News Five, “Hurricanes like Hurricane Beryl are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change, devastating Caribbean communities.” She said, “The human and economic toll is immense, with lives lost, homes destroyed, and livelihoods disrupted.”
“It’s imperative we address this through climate justice, ensuring those most affected receive the necessary support and resources. Climate finance is crucial in helping these vulnerable regions build resilience and recover swiftly. We need to see action, and we need to see it now.”
The Urgent Need for Climate Finance
Hurricane Beryl has significantly impacted Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and Jamaica, affecting over 1,280,000 people. On Grenada’s Carriacou and St. Vincent’s Union Island, every resident has been severely affected. Barbados’ southern coastal parish of Christchurch, including Bridgetown port and fishing communities, suffered extensive damage from storm surges. Jamaica’s southern parishes experienced the brunt of Beryl’s force as it moved along the coastline.
In a poignant statement, Ambassador Fatumanava Dr. Pa’olelei Luteru, Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), expressed the deepening sense of despair among SIDS populations, stressing that decades of appeals for urgent, ambitious climate action have gone largely unheeded. Despite forewarnings of escalating climate impacts, such as the rapid strengthening of storms driven by rising sea temperatures, small island nations persist in shouldering the primary burden of a crisis not of their making. “Yet, we continue to be sacrificed on the frontlines of a climate crisis we did not cause. Our sea temperatures grow warmer, encouraging storms to strengthen at alarming speed and increasing the dire threat to our developing countries. The increased danger is evident for the world to see,” he said.
Calling for COP29 to mark a pivotal turning point, Luteru demanded concrete actions, including a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. “And a new climate finance goal that is fit for purpose for small island developing states is imperative. Developing countries must finally get a commitment from developed countries to provide efficient flows and access to the trillions of mostly concessional climate finance needed to recover from worsening climate change impacts and build resilience.”
Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), said that Hurricane Beryl’s impact underscores the urgent necessity for robust climate action and resilience-building efforts in the region. “The impacts from Beryl lay bare the climate injustice happening in the Caribbean and other small island developing states. The people whose lives and livelihoods have been lost and destroyed did nothing to contribute to the climate change that is now causing these monster hurricanes,” Dr. Young said in a statement. Highlighting the significant losses and damages incurred, Dr. Young stressed the urgent need for the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund under the UNFCCC to expedite financial resources to impacted countries.
In a July 1 statement, Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, said, “This is a time for all of us as a regional community to stand together and extend our support to those impacted or likely to be impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Let us mobilise the necessary assistance and relief efforts in the true spirit of regional solidarity.”
Restoration efforts have begun. It will take years.
Prime Minister John Briceño attended the 20th Special Emergency Meeting of CARICOM Heads to address Beryl’s impact. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade shared that PM Briceño announced that Belize would financially contribute to the recovery efforts in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. Additionally, the Prime Minister offered to send linesmen to help restore electricity.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Carriacou Island, Grenada, on Monday, causing heavy rain, life-threatening winds, and flooding as it moved west across the Caribbean. The storm has claimed at least five lives, with officials warning the death toll could rise.
During a media interview, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines raised concerns about accessing international funds for rebuilding efforts and called on wealthier nations to honour their climate commitments. He stressed the importance of concrete support for small island developing states and other vulnerable nations, urging major greenhouse gas emitters to turn pledges into financial aid.
Hurricane Beryl, a powerful Category 2 storm, is on course towards Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after impacting the Cayman Islands. It recently devastated Jamaica as a Category 4 storm, resulting in fatalities and significant damage. The storm brought strong winds, dangerous storm surge, and power outages to Kingston. Beryl, with sustained winds of 110 mph, was moving west-northwest and expected to maintain hurricane strength as it approaches the Yucatan Peninsula, prompting warnings and watches along the coast.
Amid concerns over the impact of Hurricane Beryl, the CEO of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL), John Mencias, reassured customers about the stability of the power supply. CEO Mencias addressed the potential effects of the hurricane on the supply from Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) in Mexico to Belize.
“Based on the latest advisory, Hurricane Beryl remains a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. It is expected to weaken before making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula north of Belize within the next 12 hours,” Mencias stated. He explained that CFE’s transmission system, to which Belize’s grid is connected, should withstand the strong winds from a Category 3 hurricane. He added that past experiences with CFE have shown that their supply to Belize has remained stable during hurricanes. However, Mencias acknowledged that factors like lightning, flying debris, and mudslides could cause transmission system outages.
Mencias reassured customers that BEL currently has sufficient in-country capacity to meet peak demand if CFE is unable to supply power. He noted, “There is always the chance that things do not work out as planned. For example, excessive rains could affect the output from the bagasse-fueled power plants, BelCogen and Santander. But even if this happens, we should still have just sufficient generation capacity to get by.”
He expressed concern about the potential impacts of lightning and wind on BEL’s transmission and distribution system. Despite extensive preventative measures, including line clearing and securing critical equipment, some parts of the system remain vulnerable to extreme weather. “While we will do our best to maintain a reliable supply of power throughout the passage of the storm, we ask our customers to be patient as we work to keep the lights on during this time,” Mencias said.
The National Hurricane Center is now tracking Hurricane Beryl, currently less than 1,000 miles east of the Caribbean.
The second named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season rapidly intensified from a tropical depression to a tropical storm and then to a hurricane within 24 hours, aided by favorable atmospheric conditions.
According to the latest report from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Beryl has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and a minimum central pressure below 992 MB, classifying it as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This early season hurricane formation is unusual, as the average date for the first hurricane in the Atlantic basin is August 11.
Water temperatures in parts of the central Atlantic are more typical of August and September, and Beryl’s small size has allowed it to avoid Saharan dust and adverse upper-level winds.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Barbados, while other nearby islands, including St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Martinique, Dominica, and Tobago, are under watches.
Damaging winds, both tropical-storm-force and hurricane-force, extend up to 45 miles from the center. On its current trajectory, Beryl will impact the Windward Islands with damaging wind gusts over the next 72 hours as it moves west or west-northwest.
The latest forecast from the NHC indicates that winds could reach up to 120 mph in the eastern Caribbean, potentially upgrading Beryl to a major Category 3 hurricane. In addition to hurricane-force winds, the storm is expected to bring torrential rains, with forecast totals of 3-6 inches across Barbados and the affected Windward Islands, likely causing localised flooding.
The NHC has also upgraded its storm surge forecast, now predicting a “life-threatening” surge that could raise water levels by 5 to 7 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore flow.
As Barbados braces for severe weather in the next 48 hours, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is urging Barbadians to stay prepared and vigilant as the country braces for Beryl’s impact.
In a video statement tonight, the Prime Minister mentioned meeting with various government departments and agencies earlier today to ensure readiness for any eventualities. She also encouraged Barbadians to look out for each other within their communities.
The Barbados Meteorological Services has issued a Hurricane Watch for Barbados, as Tropical Storm Beryl is anticipated to strengthen into a hurricane before reaching the island late Sunday night.
Residents should prepare for strong winds that could damage homes and properties, along with potential flash flooding, especially in flood-prone areas. Severe thunderstorms may also disrupt power and utility services.
Marine conditions are expected to worsen, with a small craft and high surf warning already in effect due to above-normal sea swells anticipated from Sunday night.
The public is advised to follow guidance from the Department of Emergency Management and local officials. Stay informed through the Barbados Meteorological Services, Department of Emergency Management, and Government Information Service websites, as well as their social media channels and local media.
