Machel Montano, Kes Extend Support for Hurricane Beryl Victims

BY NAN ET Editor

News Americas, New York, NY, July 8, 2024: In the wake of the devastation and deaths caused by Hurricane Beryl across the Caribbean, especially in Grenada’s Petite Martinique, Carriacou, Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica, soca star Machel Montano has expressed his readiness to support the affected communities.

Machel Montano performs onstage during Day 2 of the 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola at Caesars Superdome on July 06, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Writing on Instagram, the soca king said: “Sending out prayers for our Caribbean brothers and sisters affected by Hurricane Beryl. . St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bequia, Grenada, Carriacou, Barbados, Tobago, Jamaica… and all others affected or still in her path. Together we stand ready to support wherever and however we can!”

Fellow soca artist Kes also shared his support, sending “prayers to every Caribbean country currently affected and in the path of Hurricane Beryl” and encouraging “all to come together as a community in a trying time like this for those in need.”

The messages from Montano and Kes reflect a strong sense of solidarity within the Caribbean music community, emphasizing the importance of unity and mutual support in the face of natural disasters. As the region continues to recover, the support from influential figures like these soca stars is a reminder of the resilience and strength of the Caribbean spirit.

Beryl has been blamed for at least 7 deaths across the Caribbean even as the scope of the damage is coming into focus in the Windward Islands, which took the brunt of the storm’s wrath when Beryl was near peak strength.

Beryl damaged around 95% of all homes in Mayreau and Union Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as well as in Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada, where it made landfall on July 1st.

The island of Carriacou in Grenada has been virtually “flattened” by the devastating Hurricane Beryl, reported a senior UN official on Friday, July 5th, as humanitarian teams intensify support to affected Caribbean communities.

Speaking via video link from Grenada, Simon Springett, UN Resident Coordinator in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, described a scene of total devastation in Carriacou, where Beryl made landfall on July 1st.

“The entire island is completely affected … that is literally 100 percent of the population,” he emphasized.

Hurricane Beryl, the strongest June hurricane in Atlantic history, transformed from a tropical depression to a Category 4 storm, briefly reaching Category 5 status with winds up to 240 km/h (150 mph).

Nations near and far are dispatching aid. A French ship arrived in Carriacou later on Friday, along with assistance from Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, according to Mr. Springett.

“We have a large outpouring of international response … it is really an international effort, and the UN is proud to be a part of this,” he said.

The damage extends to rural Jamaica, particularly in the southern parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, and Saint Elizabeth.

Food For The Poor (FFTP) is assessing needs and responding with emergency relief supplies in Jamaica to help families affected by Hurricane Beryl, which blew off roofs, knocked out power, and battered the country with intense wind and rain on Wednesday.

Before Beryl approached, FFTP-Jamaica prepositioned food items in areas that could be cut off during the storm.

Critical aid ready for deployment includes:

Disaster preparedness kits for 500 families

16 containers of food

Six containers of healthcare supplies

Five containers of other essential items

A water filter unit from partner Water Mission with the capacity to filter up to 10,000 gallons of water per day

“Our distribution network in Jamaica reaches more than 30 end points, typically churches,” said FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine. “We have a very large network to distribute aid.”

FFTP is also assessing needs in the southeastern Caribbean islands devastated by Beryl on Monday.

The charity prepositioned disaster preparedness kits in St. Lucia, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago to empower local response, each kit containing supplies for at least 250 families. Many countries are supporting each other through the network partner Caritas Antilles.

Cash donations are encouraged to expedite the delivery of aid and to make in-country purchases, assisting FFTP partners with grants. Support FFTP’s response at foodforthepoor.org/hurricaneberyl.