STORY: :: The IFRC says Hurricane Beryl leaves
'devastating' damage in Caribbean islands
:: Arthur Daniel
:: July 2, 2024
:: Petite Martinique, Grenada
:: Carriacou, Grenada
:: Rhea Pierre, Disaster manager in the Caribbean, IFRC
"The severity of damages in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl are tangible and devastating. Red Cross teams on the ground have confirmed that Beryl's life-threatening rains and winds have severely impacted the most vulnerable populations in Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and Jamaica." //
"We cannot ignore the new reality that climate crisis poses the Caribbean nations. It must be noted that we are only at the beginning of the hurricane season. We still have a staggering five months to go."
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that humanitarian assessments were ongoing to get a better understanding of the extent of the damage caused by Beryl, which the World Meteorological Organization said was setting the tone for a very dangerous hurricane season.
OCHA spokesperson Vanessa Huguenin said partners in Grenada had reported extreme damage to the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, where 70% and 97% of buildings were damaged, respectively. In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 90% of homes on Union Island were affected, while nearly all buildings on the island of Canouan sustained damage, Huguenin said.
