What Hurricane Beryl left in her wake was a Union Island—serene paradise off St. Vincent and the Grenadines—in ruins. Citizens here are trying to really come to terms with the damage, with nearly every building on the island either destroyed or severely damaged.

A Night of Terror

Katrina Coy of Union Island described the horror as Hurricane Beryl ripped their community apart. “Union Island is in a terrible state after Beryl passed. Literally, almost the whole island is homeless,” she said in a video message. That beautiful landscape of the island changed into one with houses flattened, roads blocked by rubble, and electricity poles uprooted.

Pure Destruction

Fisherman and fishing guide Sebastien Sailly shared the same sentiment as Katrina. “Everything is lost. I have no place to stay at this time,” he lamented. Having been on the island since 1985 and surviving Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Sebastien said Beryl was something he had never witnessed in terms of devastation. “Ninety percent of the island – easily 90% – has been erased,” he said, still visibly shaken.

Harrowing Experiences

The hurricane was so intense that the damage it has inflicted is likely to leave indelible marks on this community. Alizee, who runs a hotel with her family, spoke of a harrowing experience: “We pushed furniture against doors and windows to prevent them from being blown open by the wind.
The pressure was so hard it was like being under water; you could feel it in your ears.” She said they had heard the roof coming apart, windows breaking, and flooding. Trauma among residents—no one had anticipated its severity.

Basic Needs

Sebastien, a farmer and an organic beekeeper, saw the entire farms and beehives completely destroyed. The immediate priority of the community is shelter; residents notwithstanding, they are gathering wood with plastic sheeting so that temporary accommodations could be made. “Finding water and food is going to be tough,” he added.

Alizee said that Union Island was in dire need of tinned food, powdered milk, sanitary products, first-aid kits, tents, and generators. She was able to send messages from Grenada—with no power or communications—through the just-launched Starlink network of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Government Response

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said Tuesday morning that he acknowledged the widespread destruction: “Hurricane Beryl has left immense destruction, pain, and suffering across our nation.” While the Government will do its best to address a long list of post-hurricane priorities, there was a general skepticism over theircapacity to rebuild.

Sebastien is doubtful the government will be able to cope with the disaster. “I hope they can send us the military and the coastguard to help. Rebuilding the island will take billions and at least a year. We need international help,” he emphasized.

Call for Help

Katrina Coy, head of the Union Island Environmental Alliance, reached out for help from the Caribbean diaspora. “We’re in dire need of help. Emergency kits, food, evacuation, all of that is needed in this moment,” she requested. She does work, as important as it is, on water security for the island—so vital to small communities in the Caribbean—that is heartbreakingly lost to Hurricane Beryl.

Aftermath and Resilience

A category four hurricane with sustained winds of 150mph, Hurricane Beryl came ashore on Monday. Thousands are still without power. Many others are taking shelter in temporary housing throughout the three islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and St. Lucia. Sebastien Sailly is just feeling grateful. “The most important thing is that we are still alive, not the material losses. Today, I was just pleased to see my neighbors were still here,” he said.