Barbados and the World Bank teamed up this week to unveil a $54 million program to rebuild critical infrastructure damaged by superstorm Beryl last July even as the 2025 season is just three months away.
Last November, the bank’s directorate approved money for the Beryl Emergency Response and Recovery Project that the institution says will benefit around 27,000 people on the Eastern Caribbean island.
The storm which made an unusual appearance at the beginning of July instead of around mid-season like others usually do devastated several Caribbean Community member states including Grenada’s northern sister isles of Petite Martinique and Carriacou, parts of neighboring St. Vincent, various pieces of infrastructure in Barbados and Jamaica where it caused substantial damage to the agricultural sector, power generation and other areas. The annual season runs from June to the end of November but Beryl surprised everyone when it made landfall in July.
Home Affairs Minister Wilfred Abrahams and other top officials unveiled the rebuilding program on Monday noting the reconstruction effort will entail climate adaptation and the strengthening of disaster preparedness systems.
“The government of Barbados in this vein has made substantial efforts to address the most urgent needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, and these include the relocation and repair of fishing vessels, removal of debris from various entities including the fishing complexes, rehabilitation of the port and rehabilitation and futureproofing of the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex breakwater,” Abrahams said.
Infrastructure in Barbados sustained damage despite the fact that the storm had passed around 100 miles off the south coast, damaging the main Bridgetown Port, the crucial fisheries marina, its breakwater systems and nearly 250 fishing boats, devastating the lives of island fishermen. Officials estimated that up to 73 percent of hotels were damaged as well as about 40 homes.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley had said the island must be prepared to face increasingly powerful storms calling on the region in recent years so preparedness is key.
“This project is a testament to our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us, empowering our people, and safeguarding the future of Barbados. We don’t want just to respond to the disaster—we want to ensure that we stand stronger in the face of the next one.”
