Hurricane Beryl continues to wreak havoc across C’bean

…as wind-whipped rain pounded Jamaica on Wednesday

Hurricane Beryl on Wednesday bashed the south coast of Jamaica, unleashing 140 mph winds before heading west at a brisk pace toward the Cayman Islands.
ABC news reported that Prime Minister Andrew Holness said on Wednesday afternoon that nearly 500 people were placed in shelters.
According to the ABC report, a hurricane warning was also in effect for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
The US National Hurricane Center predict that Beryl will maintain hurricane status later this week as it is expected to cross over the Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula late Thursday or early Friday and emerge into the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm made landfall on Monday on Carriacou, an island in Grenada.
Beryl reached a Category 5 hurricane status in the Atlantic on Monday, with peak winds of 165 mph (270 kph).

In addition to Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Beryl wreaked havoc in Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – countries with large Guyanese diasporas.
On Wednesday, Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that it is collaborating closely with various consulates to ensure the wellbeing of Guyanese citizens.
Guyana Times understands that disruption to telecommunication services and electricity in the affected countries are contributing significantly to the slow transfer of information.
“The extent of damage is still being assessed. Information from Guyanese on the island is slowly trickling in but by Friday we will be in a better position to know how many were affected and the extent of damage done” the Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry related.
Beryl has killed at least six people.
Over 38000 Guyanese residing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Barbados and Trinidad are reportedly affected by the devasting Hurricane Beryl, which continues to plough through the Caribbean with record-breaking wind speeds, causing massive destruction including loss of lives.

According to information provided by Guyana’s Diaspora Unit, an estimated 20,000 Guyanese in Barbados; 30,000 to 35,000 in Trinidad and about 3000 in St Vincent and the Grenadines are affected. The number of those affected in Grenada has not been provided yet.

Damage assessments
Further, damage assessments are ongoing in all the affected countries and humanitarian efforts are being continuously mobilised.
A preliminary report prepared by Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) indicated that over 3000 persons from Union Island alone in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are displaced. In addition to this, the roof of the Union Island airport was destroyed along with the main control tower at the facility.
In fact, there are 75 active shelters in St. Vincent and the Grenadines housing over 2000 persons, none are Guyanese.
Moreover, while Barbados, Tobago and St. Lucia have reported minimal damages to infrastructure, 90 percent of Grenada’s population which amounts to over 6000 persons are affected.

Spokesperson for the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric has disclosed that staff attached to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is working closely with the CDEMA to conduct damage assessments in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
OCHA teams are also in Barbados, supporting the Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Simon Springett, as well as our partners in order to help them respond to the hurricane’s impact on Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where national authorities, our agencies and our partners are assessing the magnitude of the damage, among others.

Assistance
As the affected countries started their clean-up, Guyana was the first country to send aid to Grenada – one of the most severely hit countries. In fact, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has led a proactive approach by mobilising aid to the affected countries.
This resulted in two shipments comprising generators, water purification tablets, batteries, hygiene items, and other necessities being handed over to Grenada’s Minister for Climate Resilience, the Environment, and Renewable Energy, Kerryne James by the Head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel (Ret’d), Nazrul Hussain at the Maurice Bishop International Airport, Grenada.
Further, the Guyanese Head of State tasked Prime Minister, Mark Phillips to lead the coordination efforts.
This decision was taken on Tuesday during a meeting with stakeholders at State House, Main Street, Georgetown. In addition to that meeting, President Ali in his capacity as the Chairman of Caricom convened an emergency response meeting with regional leaders to evaluate the initial damages caused by Hurricane Beryl.
While the outcome of that meeting is unknown, Guyana Times understands that the President has reiterated Guyana’s support during this difficult period.
In keeping with this commitment, two vessels and a bond at the Friendship Wharf Facility on the East Bank of Demerara, are being loaded with essential relief supplies from the Government of Guyana in conjunction with the private sector.
The first vessel is scheduled to depart the shore of Guyana on Sunday for St. Vincent and the Grenadines while the second vessel’s departure to Grenada is set for July 10.
The vessels were inspected by Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips on Wednesday.

Airline closure
Prior to Beryl arrival in Jamaica, the Sangster International Airport was closed from midnight on Tuesday. The authorities stated that after the hurricane passes, they will assess when it will be safe to reopen.
As such, it urged persons wanting to travel to Jamaica to check with their airline and resort to make other arrangements. Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport was opened on Tuesday to light air traffic after a complete shutdown on Monday.
On the other hand, the Owen Roberts International Airport on Grand Cayman ceased Airport Operations at 18:00h while the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Cayman Brac did same at 15:00h on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
Caribbean Airlines have also cancelled several flights in and out of the affected countries. (G1)