Attachments
TIMELINE
3 July 2024: Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Jamaica resulting at least 3 deaths, affecting most of the population and causing significant damage to Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, St. Thomas, Manchester, Westmoreland and Hanover Parishes.
3-4 July 2024: The Prime Minister issues the Disaster Risk Management (Enforcement Measures) (Hurricane Beryl) Order 2024, declaring Jamaica as a disaster area. Initial assessments and response organized by Jamaica Red Cross in the affected areas. Surge requests for IFRC Rapid Response Personnel activated.
4-5 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 was launched for 4 million CHF to support 25,000 people in these countries.
9 July 2024: IFRC Surge Capacity deployed and arrived in country – Operations Manager
DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT
Hurricane Beryl made landfall at 5:00PM, 3 July 2024. Maximum sustained winds were reported near 220 km/h (140 mph) with this Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The NEOC was activated at Level 3 ahead of the hurricane's impact and has been scaled down to Level 1 as assessments are being undertaken. The Prime Minister issued the Disaster Risk Management Order 2024, declaring Jamaica as a disaster area in effect 3 July 2024, and remaining in effect for 7 days.
Over 50 communities were impacted by flooding, landslides and storm surges. Preliminary information based on a rapid situational overview has revealed that the worst affected parishes are Clarendon and St. Elizabeth with significant damage reported in St. Thomas, Manchester, Westmoreland and Hanover. Preliminary data also suggests that significant damage and loss to the productive sector (e.g. agriculture) and infrastructure (roads, telecommunications network, water). Damage was also sustained to the social sector with varying degree of damage and loss to health facilities, educational facilities and housing with the damage and/or destruction of roofs.