The storm claimed 10 lives.
Hurricane Beryl, a powerful Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 120 mph, is causing extensive damage across the Caribbean, including the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Grenada, where it has already claimed at least 10 lives. Responding swiftly, Samaritan’s Purse, a North Carolina-based evangelical relief organization, has launched a significant relief effort by airlifting more than 24 tons of emergency supplies and deploying specialists to the affected areas.
According to CNN’s early Thursday report, Hurricane Beryl unleashed its most severe winds along Jamaica’s southern coast, accompanied by relentless heavy rainfall and strong winds affecting a wide area. From Wednesday afternoon into early Thursday morning, Kingston endured continuous wind gusts nearing 50 mph for 12 hours straight, with gusts exceeding 80 mph by late afternoon.
As reported by The Associated Press on Thursday morning, Hurricane Beryl was positioned approximately 50 miles southwest of Grand Cayman and 385 miles east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico. The storm maintained sustained winds of 120 mph, moving west-northwest at a speed of 20 mph.
Samaritan’s Purse has mobilized its Disaster Assistance Response Team swiftly, sending a DC-8 aircraft from Greensboro, North Carolina, loaded with essential supplies such as tarps, solar lights, water purification units, and a mobile medical unit. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, emphasized the urgency of their mission to provide immediate relief and support to the hardest-hit communities.
“We began assembling pallets of supplies before the hurricane made landfall and are now en route with life-saving aid,” Graham stated in a message to The Christian Post, urging prayers for affected families and their dedicated Samaritan’s Purse staff.
The relief efforts of Samaritan’s Purse are coordinated in collaboration with local church partners to ensure efficient distribution of resources. Concerns expressed by humanitarian organizations like World Vision and Christian Aid highlight the potential catastrophic impact on vulnerable regions such as Haiti, where flooding and infrastructure challenges could exacerbate the storm’s effects.
Sophie Powell, Chief of U.K. Advocacy at Christian Aid, emphasized the critical need for increased financial support to aid in rebuilding devastated areas. She stressed the importance of providing adequate resources through mechanisms like the Loss and Damage Fund to compensate for losses caused by severe natural disasters, stating, “You cannot simply adapt to a category 5 hurricane destroying your home or killing your family.”
The ongoing response to Hurricane Beryl underscores the immediate humanitarian needs and long-term recovery efforts required to assist communities in the Caribbean as they prepare for further impact.