90 Percent of houses on Union Island severely damaged or destroyed by Beryl – PM Gonsalves

By Admin. Updated 10:57 p.m., Monday, July 1, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Prime Minister – Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said that according to reports, 90 percent of houses in Union Island have been damaged by Hurricane Beryl.

The prime minister made the announcement during an address to the nation on Monday night (July 1).

Union Island is located in the Southern Grenadines and is part of an archipelago of islands that make up the multi-island State of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

St. Vincent and the Grenadines comprises 32 islands and cays.

Other Southern Grenadine islands – Canouan and Mayreau were also within the destructive path of Hurricane Beryl, but due to down communication systems there is no update on the situation on those islands.

It is predicted that those islands have also been devastated. The prime minister has announced plans to travel to those islands as soon as it is safe to do so.

Marine conditions are expected to improve as Beryl moves further west out of the area into the Caribbean Sea.

The latest shelter count released by the National Emergency Management Organisation – NEMO revealed that 1,490 persons were in 68 shelters across the country.

As of 8:00 p.m., all warnings and watches associated with Beryl in relation to St. Vincent and the Grenadines were discontinued.

The prime minister said the Argyle International Airport will reopen later this week.