Leaders across the Caribbean are still assessing the financial toll of damages to their respective countries following the passage of Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Atlantic storm on record, which claimed the lives of at least 12 people when it swept across the region last week.
Early reports indicate damages and losses projected in the “hundreds of millions” for some countries, based on preliminary assessments by local officials.
“We are talking hundreds of millions of dollars in losses and hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild,” Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell stated during a briefing on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a Category 4 storm over Grenada’s Carriacou Island on July 1, with sustained winds up to 150 miles per hour, heavy rainfall, and life-threatening storm surge impacting Carriacou and other Windward Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm subsequently made landfall over Jamaica on July 3, before continuing past the Cayman Islands and across Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula on July 4 and 5.
Preliminary damage assessments from Grenada’s National Disaster Management Agency, Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders indicate the storm damaged or destroyed approximately 98 percent of structures on Grenada’s Carriacou and Petit Martinique islands, including the roof of Carriacou’s Princess Royal Hospital. Additionally, Mount Gay Psychiatric Hospital on Grenada’s main island sustained damage.
Preliminary reports also show extensive damage to St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Union Island, where the storm damaged or destroyed 90 percent of houses. Early assessments from St. Lucia estimate the damage at $2 million, which includes infrastructure, sea moss harvests, and banana plantations.
Jamaica estimates billions in damage
In Jamaica, initial reports estimate damages in the billions of Jamaican dollars. Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated that the National Works Agency’s (NWA) preliminary estimate for road infrastructure damage due to Hurricane Beryl stands at J$10.25 billion. More than 5,000 parochial roads have been affected to varying degrees, disrupting access to critical services, including healthcare. Approximately 38 percent of public hospitals sustained damage, including roof damage necessitating patient relocations. The estimated cost to repair infrastructure damage to hospitals is J$1.8 billion.
Jamaicans will also face food shortages, with an estimated US$6.4 million in food crops and supporting infrastructure destroyed.
Agriculture Minister Floyd Green reported significant damage to crops including vegetables, tubers such as yam and cassava, and fruits like breadfruit, ackee, mangoes, and bananas. Livestock and fishing sectors were also severely impacted. “We have seen about 85% of our bananas and our plantain lines go down in Portland and St Mary,” Green noted after visiting farms in the southern parish of St. Elizabeth.
Farmers who grow crops in greenhouses in the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, and St. Elizabeth have been hard-hit as well, along with scores of residents who lost their homes.
According to Green, a significant number of people in all communities across the constituency, from Treasure Beach to Barbary Hall, have lost their roofs.
As it relates to schools, Jamaica’s Ministry of Education reported that preliminary damage assessments of schools due to Hurricane Beryl total over J$797 million, a figure expected to rise as access and communication challenges persist. Most of the damaged institutions are in the parish of St. Elizabeth and Manchester.
Munro College in Potsdam, St. Elizabeth, has estimated its damage at US$2 million (J$310 million), with 31 of the 35 buildings on the school’s compound significantly damaged.
The 168-year-old institution, often called ‘The City on a Hill,’ suffered severe damage to buildings, including the principal’s office, staff cottages, and the sixth-form block, losing roofs, windows, and doors. Furniture, solar panels, and sections of the tennis court’s fencing were also damaged. The school’s principal and staff have appealed to corporate institutions, alumni associations, and members of the diaspora for assistance.
As Caribbean nations grapple with the extensive damage and the daunting task of rebuilding, the reality remains that the hurricane season has only just begun. Scientists have predicted an above-average season this year, suggesting that the region may face further challenges in the coming months. This ominous forecast underscores the urgent need for preparedness and resilience as communities brace for what may lie ahead.
Read more on Hurricane Beryl relief efforts:
- Lauderhill residents urged to gather supplies for Hurricane Beryl victims
- Miramar launches relief effort for Caribbean Hurricane Beryl victims
- Jamaica’s Miami Consulate leads aid drive for hurricane-hit Caribbean nations
- Broward County officials to assist Caribbean nationals affected by Hurricane Beryl
