Attachments
TIMELINE
29 - 30 June 2024: A Hurricane Warning was placed in effect for Barbados. Hurricane Beryl was a category 4 hurricane and hurricane conditions were expected in the hurricane warning area to begin early morning on 1 July. Shelters were activated ahead of Hurricane Beryl’s passage, housing over 400 persons during its passage.
1 July 2024: Hurricane Beryl passed 80 miles south of Barbados causing devastating damage to the island’s fishing industry. Lashing the south/south-west coast of Barbados, significant damage was caused to over 200 boats and causing some 20 fishing vessels to sink.
2 -6 July 2024: Damage assessments began to determine the full extent of the damage; and on 6 July, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced a comprehensive rescue plan to restore the fishing industry and rebuild coastal defense. Initial reports from the National Emergency Operations Centre indicated damage to 40 homes (including roof loss and partial collapse).
5 July 2024: CHF 1.7 million was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the response activities of the National Societies in the affected countries, including in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Emergency Appeal launched for CHF 4 million to assist 25,000 people in these countries.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT
As a small and densely populated nation with a lowlying coastal zone, Barbados is vulnerable to a range of natural hazards. The country experiences flooding caused by tropical storms and hurricanes and by extreme rainfall during the rainy season. The island is also subject to sea level rise, increasing storm intensity, earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis. Although Barbados is ranked as one of the most prosperous Caribbean nations, (scoring high on many United Nations Human Development Index indicators), the country is challenged by youth poverty, general inequality and adverse impacts from natural hazards.
Although Barbados has disaster management legislation and national disaster management mechanisms in place, it has been noted that the existing legislative framework needs to be strengthened and to better integrate the needs of vulnerable communities in awareness and preparedness, emergency shelter situations, postdisaster recovery.
Hurricanes and tropical revolving storms continue to be a major threat to the fisheries sector; as evidenced with the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, which caused wide-scale damage to the island’s fishing industry. Initial estimates indicate that over 200 boats were partially or completely damaged and lost due to Hurricane Beryl, with significant damage to the Barbados Fisheries Division in Bridgetown, and the Oistins Fish Market in Christ Church.
Hurricane Beryl also underscored vulnerabilities associated with housing, with over 40 reports of partial or total roof damage. In 2021, the passage of Hurricane Elsa also highlighted this vulnerability – causing significant damage to an estimated 1,300 homes.