NEMO says 817 persons in emergency shelters across the country

The stock photo used is unrelated to the details of this story and does not depict someone in a shelter in SVG. This stock photo was only used for illustrative purposes.

By Admin. Updated 11:03 p.m., Sunday, June 30, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

The National Emergency Management Organisation – NEMO announced tonight that 817 persons are in 34 shelters across the country.

Emergency shelters were opened at 6:00 p.m., on Sunday (June 30) as Category 4 Hurricane Beryl approaches the Windward Islands.

The hurricane is projected to hit St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) at around 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July, 1, but tropical storm-force winds are expected to be felt across the country tonight.

The system is expected to dump 4-6 inches of rainfall in the area as well as storm surges, rough marine conditions, and maximum sustained hurricane-force winds of up to 130 miles per hour.

In an address to the nation on Sunday evening, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister – Dr. Ralph Gonsalves declared the whole country a disaster area under Section 32 (1) of the National Emergency Act.

He urged persons in low-lying areas to evacuate and seek cover in shelters. These include persons in coastal areas of the Grenadine islands and in flood-prone areas on the mainland.