Panama - New York, July 2, 2024. Over the weekend, Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the Eastern Caribbean bringing winds from 155 mph to 160 mph, 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.
The UNDP stands ready to deploy personnel to support national and regional emergency management authorities in launching 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 Grenadine islands in 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. Barbados recorded damage to coastal infrastructure and significant property losses in the marine sector.
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 an 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 starts, UNDP will continue supporting the region in prevention, preparedness, and recovery.
