Background

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Annual hurricanes and floods, exacerbated by the effects of climate change and combined with less frequent but devastating geological events, adversely affect the pace of growth and development. In response, disaster management has been accorded priority on the national agenda.

On July 1, 2024, the eye of the category 4 storm, Hurricane Beryl passed between the islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, devastating the islands of the southern Grenadines of Saint Vincent. Beryl intensified rapidly to become the first category 4 storm for the month of June on record.  This was fueled by the near-record warm sea surface temperatures in the region. The eye of the storm passed over Carriacou island, Grenada and through the Southern Grenadines devastating the inhabited islands of Canoaun, Mayreau and Union Island.  This was the most intense section of a hurricane and in addition to being the zone of the highest sustained winds, is the area where hurricanes frequently produce tornados which may result in wind speeds of over 200 mph. 

The northern Grenadines (Bequia, Mustique) as well as mainland St.Vincent experienced winds of more than 130 mph. This was the strongest hurricane on record to have impacted St Vincent and the Grenadines (records dating back to 1875).  On June 30, 2024 at 6:30 pm AST, Prime Minister Dr. Hon Ralph Gonsalves issued a formal declaration of disaster. This declaration invokes emergency powers in accordance with St Vincent's National Emergency and Disaster Management Act.

Damage to the Southern Grenadines is catastrophic with over 90% of buildings heavily damaged or destroyed.  Over 2,000 residential and non-residential buildings were damaged (824) or destroyed (1,259), directly affecting approximately 4,050 persons or 3.7 percent of the national population. Damage to electric power infrastructure is extensive as most of the transmission and distribution infrastructure were destroyed.  As a result, these islands are without publicly supplied power, and water resources are extremely limited. 

The Southern Grenadines depend largely on rainwater harvesting and public cisterns. Public infrastructure suffered major damage including hospitals, schools and transportation facilities such as airport and seaport infrastructure. In particular, the airport operations buildings on Union Island and Canoaun were severely damaged. Due to the lack of power and water, many island residents evacuated to mainland St. Vincent. Mainland St. Vincent and the Northern Grenadines (Bequia, Mustique) were spared the devastating effects of the storm eye wall but were nonetheless exposed to storm surge and winds in excess of 130 mph.  Major damage reported includes houses, public buildings (schools, fisheries centers), sea defense infrastructure, the Bequia airport, public utilities, telecommunications and electrical infrastructure.

Early response measures taken by the GoSVG include attending the CDEMA-led Caribbean Development Partners Group (CDPG) meeting on June 30, 2024 prior to Beryl’s landfall, and coordinating preparation efforts with over 166 partners from local, regional, and international agencies. Following Beryl’s impact, NEMO activated emergency shelters nationwide and started delivering relief essentials through a network of local actors, private sectors, and organizations including those led by women and youth. Over 1000 persons were evacuated from Union Island within 48 hours through ferry services provided by the GoSVG.