Long road to recovery for Union Island post-Hurricane Beryl

With winds up to 240 km/h, Beryl devastated essential infrastructure and dwellings in many of these little island towns, displacing thousands. Amid the aftermath, stories of strength and resilience emerge from the rubble. 

In Ashton, a town on Union Island, a strong community spirit prevails despite the devastation. Families have opened their homes to those in need, showcasing the island’s resilience. Fitzgerald Hutchinson, 51, is one of those offering shelter. “So it appears as though no matter how secure your property was or is mother nature has no respect,” he said, emphasizing the need for solidarity during the crisis. His mother’s house, now home to 17 people, stands in dramatic contrast to his own, which was destroyed by the hurricane. The once vibrant neighbourhood is now a field of debris, or ‘flattened,’ as locals describe it. 

The road to recovery for Union Island will be long and arduous. The World Bank’s Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) report estimates a loss of USD 230.6 million, representing 22 per cent of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ GDP for 2023. The southern Grenadines, including Union Island, suffered disproportionately, with damage totalling USD 186.8 million, which accounts for 81 per cent of the national total. 

As families continue to pick up the pieces, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working with the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as national and international partners to provide emergency relief. Tents, solar lamps, and tarpaulins are being distributed, and long-term recovery plans are developed. “In the coming weeks we are going to help to rebuild critical infrastructures and 500 households to train how to build their houses better”, said Martina Cilkova, IOM Shelter and Settlement Coordinator in the Caribbean. 

Over half of the Union Island population is displaced on the mainland, living in shelters or with family and friends. A day after the hurricane, Coleen Collins, 67, her two daughters, and grandchildren left Union Island. She saw their house vanish piece by piece. Now, the family is staying at school serving as a temporary shelter in the capital, Kingstown. “I have seen many different storms in the past but none like this. I would never like to go through this again, neither would like to see my grandchildren go through this one or even worse, It is terrible.” Coleen said. She longs to return to Union Island and is urgently striving to do so. 

While the challenges are daunting, the spirit of the small islands remains unbroken. Volunteer squads continue to clear debris, and the community is slowly healing. The journey ahead will require patience, support and determination, but the people of the Grenadines Islands are committed to rising from the ashes of Hurricane Beryl. 

The next steps for this new post-Beryl life are being planned. Coleen and Fitzgerald are all considering what is best for their children. Some plan to start over somewhere else. Most wish to rebuild their lives in their hometowns.