Guyana deploys first relief shipment to Grenada, following Hurricane Beryl

Jul 03, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana (GoG) on Tuesday deployed the first shipment of relief items to render assistance to residents of Grenada, who are being affected by Hurricane Beryl.

According to a statement issued by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the staff of the CDC along with volunteers from the CDC Volunteer Corps, packed relief hampers for residents of Grenada On Monday.

“The storm has impacted several Caribbean islands so far and weather predictions show that its trajectory will cause more damage,” CDC said in the statement.

During a news conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister of Grenada said, “There is no power, and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are not passable, and in many instances they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets.”

As such, items such as tarpaulins, chain saws, generators, batteries, torch lights, safety vests, hygiene items, water purification tablets and collapsible water bottles were dispatched on Tuesday morning, via Guyana Defence Force (GDF) aircraft.

Director-General of the CDC Colonel (Ret’d), Nazrul Hussain officially handed over the items to Grenada’s Minister for Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy, Kerryne James at the Maurice Bishop International Airport.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali who is also the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) expressed via his official Facebook page “deep concern and continued anxiety over the passage of Hurricane Beryl through our region.”

The CARICOM Chair noted initial reports have indicated significant damage and destruction to infrastructure and private property on some territories.

“As this weather phenomenon roars its way through the Region, we must continue to brace ourselves against the effects of high winds, storm surges along sea coasts, and heavy rainfall,”

Ali said, while urging citizens and the private sector of the region to coordinate closely with their respective governments and regional emergency response mechanisms in providing immediate support and relief to those affected by the hurricane.

Additionally, the President stated, “The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) is already working to mobilise and coordinate assistance and disaster relief even as the storm is still passing through the Windward Islands.”

President Ali underscored that this is the time for all of us as a regional community to stand together and extend our support to those impacted or are likely to be impacted by Hurricane Beryl.

“Let us mobilise the necessary assistance and relief efforts in the true spirit of regional solidarity. Together, we can overcome the adversities posed by this hurricane and ensure the safety and well-being of all our peoples and communities,” Ali stated.

NBC news reported on Tuesday that Hurricane Beryl has claimed at least four lives in the Caribbean as it continues to bring heavy rainfall, “life-threatening” winds and flooding to the region this week, with forecasters warning that it could remain at least a tropical storm as it moves towards Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an update early Tuesday that the storm, which remains a Category 5 and is currently in the Caribbean Sea some 235 miles southeast of the Dominican Republic, had sustained wind speeds of almost 165 mph — making it the strongest July hurricane ever recorded, beating Emily from 2015.

Three people were killed in Grenada and one person was killed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, according to officials, who warned there could be more fatalities. In Grenada, two people died in Carriacou Island and one person died after a tree fell on a home on River Road.

Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said on Monday that there are many downed power lines and roads that are not passable due to debris in the island nation.

The NHC said Beryl is moving westward across the Caribbean at around 22 mph, which should continue through Wednesday when it is forecast to pass near Jamaica. The hurricane will then approach the Cayman Islands Thursday before reaching the Yucatán Peninsula at night.

Jamaica upgraded its advisory to a hurricane warning, up from a watch, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged people to be prepared and seek higher, safer ground. He also warned that emergency services would not be able to operate during the peak of the hurricane.

A large swathe of the Caribbean is now preparing for significant impact and damage this week. Jamaica remains subject to a hurricane warning, with heavy rain and flooding likely there on Wednesday. The storm surge in Jamaica could reach five to eight feet above normal tide levels, with up to 12 inches of rain possible there and the southwestern Haitian peninsula through Wednesday. In the Cayman Islands, storm surge could raise water levels 2 to 4 feet above the norm.

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• Caribbean islands, CDC, Grenada, Hurricane Berly, relief items

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