Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the Eastern Caribbean on July 1, bringing winds from 155 mph to 160 mph and later becoming the first hurricane on record to reach Category 5 so early in the Atlantic. Entire communities have been flooded, houses destroyed, livelihoods wiped out, and the full scale of this event is not yet known.
“We are deeply saddened by the devastating loss of life, the impact on livelihoods and infrastructures as well as the suffering caused to communities by this hurricane. UNDP remains in solidarity with the Caribbean people, and we stand ready to support the governments and communities with immediate critical needs as they begin to recover from this event”, said Michelle Muschett, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
UNDP stands ready to deploy personnel to support national and regional emergency management authorities for relief and recovery efforts in the Eastern Caribbean and is monitoring the path of the hurricane that could potentially affect Jamaica and Central America.
Preliminary reports indicate that Carriacou, Grenada, and some Grenadine islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are among the worst affected so far, with widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure, including telecommunications, and at least one death. Meanwhile, Barbados experienced damage to coastal infrastructure and significant property losses in the marine sector.
“We stand in solidarity with the affected people and communities across the Eastern Caribbean. Our team has been on high alert monitoring the progress and impact of the storm, and we are ready to quickly mobilize the necessary resources and expertise in disaster relief and recovery,” said Limya Eltayeb, UNDP Resident Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
Beryl is the second named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season – which was forecast to be a very active one. Ocean temperatures, already elevated due to climate variability and change, have been further increased by the 2023-24 El Niño phenomenon. From a period of intense drought, we are expected to transition to a stronger-than-normal hurricane season. This season, 20-25 storms are forecasted, of which 8-12 could become hurricanes. As this unprecedented hurricane season is getting started, UNDP will continue supporting the region in prevention, preparedness, and recovery.
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