Beryl kills 1 in St Vincent

Hours after Hurricane Beryl battered St Vincent and the Grenadines on July 1, the country’s Prime Minister says one person has died on the Grenadine island of Bequia.

In a statement on July 1, Dr Ralph Gonsalves said the government has only received preliminary reports of the death and did not have details to share.

He said based on the hurricane’s destructive impact, more deaths may be reported in the coming days.

Gonsalves said homes in St Vincent and the Grenadine islands were also severely affected.

“There are hundreds of houses on St Vincent which have been severely damaged by or destroyed. Roofs are gone, government buildings, especially schools.”

He said hundreds of families were left uncertain about their future and their homes.

“Union Island has been devastated. The reports that I have received indicate that 90 per cent of the houses have been severely damaged or destroyed, their roofs, structures.

“The Union Island airport roof is gone, it’s no more.”

Gonsalves said the Argyle International Airport was also affected and would be closed on July 2 for clean-up. He said the airport would accept aircraft bringing any much-needed aid and was expected to be reopened by July 3 or 4.

He said the island’s utility companies were working through the night to restore electricity – which was down in most of the island – and the water supply.

Despite the widespread destruction, Gonsalves called on Vincentians to “roll up their shirt sleeves” and get to work rebuilding the island.

“We have endured today, which was very bad, we can endure the night, and tomorrow we get up with the courage and conviction to rebuild our individual lives and our families lives and to rebuild our country, to recover.”

He said the government will use its contingency fund, but that money would not be enough.

He said this will force his government to borrow money to make up the shortfall.

Gonsalves said Guyana's President and Caricom chairman Dr Irfaan Ali had already pledged to send relief items for rebuilding homes.

This is the country’s second natural disaster in three years after the La Soufriere volcano erupted on April 9, 2021.

At that time, Gonsalves turned to his neighbours in the region for assistance.

Regional governments, including TT’s, stepped in to send much-needed supplies to the island in the days after the eruption.