01/07/2025
🌀 Remembering Hurricane Beryl – One Year Later
📅 July 1st, 2024 – July 1st, 2025
Today marks the first anniversary of Hurricane Beryl—a catastrophic Category 4 storm that left an indelible mark on the history of the Caribbean. On July 1st, 2024, Beryl tore through the Windward Islands, bringing widespread devastation, especially to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
Among the hardest-hit areas were Union Island and Canouan, two southern islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Union Island, in particular, saw over 90% of its homes destroyed, leaving families displaced and entire communities without basic infrastructure. To this day, many residents have still not been able to return to their homes or rebuild their lives.
In Grenada, the dependencies of Carriacou and Petite Martinique were similarly ravaged, suffering catastrophic losses. Essential services were crippled, homes flattened, and livelihoods destroyed.
Tragically, Hurricane Beryl claimed the lives of at least 8 people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and 6 in Grenada, with 4 persons still unaccounted for. Additional fatalities were reported in Jamaica, Venezuela, and other parts of the region, highlighting the storm’s extensive and deadly reach.
Beyond the immediate human toll, Beryl dealt a harsh blow to the region’s economic backbone—agriculture and tourism. Both industries suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, impacting food security, employment, and long-term development.
As we remember this solemn day, we stand in solidarity with all those who continue to rebuild, who mourn loved ones lost, and who carry the burden of recovery in silence. The resilience of our Caribbean people remains strong, but the journey toward full recovery is far from over.
🕊️ Let today be a moment of reflection, remembrance, and renewed commitment to climate resilience and regional preparedness.
