The government of Grenada has declared the northern parish of St. Patrick and the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique as disaster zones for a period of three months, from July 1 to September 30, 2024. The announcement was made in Friday’s edition of the Government Gazette.
Under Section 55 of the 2023 Disaster Management Act, which came into effect in October 2023, the Prime Minister has the authority to declare a disaster if there is a significant hazard, an ongoing or imminent disaster, and if it is necessary to exercise disaster management powers to prevent or minimize loss of life, injury, property damage, or environmental harm.
Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, devastated several Caribbean countries, including Grenada, last week. With maximum sustained winds of approximately 120 mph, the hurricane caused widespread damage to property, infrastructure, the environment, and crops, as well as loss of human life.
The notice, which took effect at 11:00 a.m. on July 1, 2024, and will remain in force until 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2024, detailed the severe impact of the hurricane.
Three people reportedly died in Grenada, and 98% of the housing stock in Carriacou and Petite Martinique was destroyed. In St. Patrick, a significant number of roofs and houses were damaged, along with extensive agricultural losses.
In addition to property damage, the hurricane caused disruptions to electricity, water, and telecommunications services all across Grenada. By Friday, more than 70% of utilities were restored in non-disaster zones.
Islands in need of every kind of aid
When asked by the United Nations about the kind of aid and support residents in Grenada need, Tevin Andrews, the minister overseeing Grenada’s islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, said: “Anything that would allow a human being to survive.”
Speaking from Carriacou, where Beryl made landfall as the earliest Category 4 storm in Atlantic history, Andrews emphasized the dire need for assistance. When asked if there was flat space available for humanitarian workers to set up tents, he responded, “The whole island is flat.”
Simon Springett, the top U.N. humanitarian official for the eastern Caribbean and Barbados, echoed Andrews’ urgency. Speaking to U.N. correspondents, he described the devastation as “dramatic” and “catastrophic.”
Beryl’s fierce rains and winds knocked out desalination plants, cell towers, and fiber optic cables in Carriacou. Roads became impassable, and an estimated 95% of housing, along with local businesses and income-generating activities, were destroyed.
Carriacou, with a population of 9,000, and nearby Petite Martinique, home to 2,000 residents, were the hardest hit. Damage was also reported on Grenada’s mainland to the north, affecting roughly 10,000 people, though to a lesser extent.
Read more: UN mobilizes $4 million for Hurricane Beryl response in Caribbean
