Hurricane Beryl, a devastating storm, swept through the Caribbean in early July, unleashing heavy rains and destructive winds across several islands, including Grenada, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic.
Hurricane Beryl is the first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, forming as the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record. In response to the widespread destruction, Caribbean diaspora communities in New York City, alongside elected officials and community organizations, have mobilized relief efforts to aid the residents affected by Hurricane Beryl.
Severe flooding and power outages impacted the southern coast of Jamaica, which experienced significant destruction, particularly in the agricultural sector. The storm caused extensive damage to crops, livestock, and fishing infrastructure, raising immediate concerns about food shortages.
Also Read: Renters of Basement Apartments Fear Claiming Hurricane Ida Aid
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a multi-island nation made up of 32 islands and cays, communication and power remain largely disrupted in the southern Grenadine islands. The storm caused catastrophic damage, destroying or severely damaging nearly every building on Union Island. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 98 percent of houses and infrastructure were heavily damaged or destroyed. One hundred percent of homes were destroyed in Canouan, and 20 to 40 percent of homes were damaged on Bequia.
In the tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique have sustained the worst damage. According to Grenada’s National Disaster Management Agency, nearly 98 percent of the buildings, including the main health facility and airport, have been damaged on the island of Carriacou, struck by the eye of the storm. So far, three storm-related deaths have been confirmed.
New York City is home to the largest Caribbean community in the United States and Documented has compiled a list of individuals and organizations in NYC receiving donations to aid Hurricane Beryl victims. This list will be updated as relief efforts continue.
Also Read: Surviving the Water: New York City’s Flooding Crisis in the Age of Climate Change
Elected officials from the New York State Assembly and New York City Council, including Farah N. Louis, Mercedes Narcisse, Rita Joseph, NYS Senator Kevin S. Parker, NYS Assembly Members Brian Cunningham, Monique Chandler-Waterman, and Rodeneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn, have partnered with Supporting Every Life Beyond Yours Inc. (SELBY) to organize a relief drive from July 3 to July 31 to support those affected by Hurricane Beryl.
Donations will be sent to Union Island which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; the Islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada, and other impacted areas.
The items needed include hygiene kits, water, essential medicine, first aid kits, cots, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, soap, non-perishable food, diapers, wipes, flashlights and batteries, tarpaulins, and toiletries. Donations can be made at the following locations.
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
450 Clarkson Avenue Suite J, Brooklyn, NY 11203
Monday to Friday, 24 hours
God’s Battalion of Prayer
780 Schenectady Avenue
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Christ Ambassadors Ministries
5007 Beverley Road, Brooklyn, NY 11203
Monday to Friday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Community Board 17
4112 Farragut Road, Brooklyn, NY 11210
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Council District Office 45
1434 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How to aid victims of Hurricane Beryl in Grenada
New York-based Grenadian makeup artists Mandisa Peters and Shennel E. Patrick are collecting feminine and wellness products to help Grenadian women affected by the hurricane. The most urgent items needed are tampons, feminine wipes, menstrual pain relief products, skincare products, shampoo and conditioner, toiletries, first aid kits, and more. Visit the list of requested items and information about how to donate.
Community organization SOCAFaith LLC is collecting items and financial donations to support the victims in Grenada. The needed items include non-perishable food, blankets, toiletries, clothes, tissues, paper towels, sleeping bags, and cleaning supplies.
Kayak Roots & Kulture
312 East 93rd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11212
You can donate through their GoFundMe here. The proceeds will be disbursed to the Office of the Grenadian Prime Minister.
For more information, contact:
(347) 450-5062
Monetary Donations To The Government Of Grenada
The Government of Grenada has issued the following information for financial donations, please visit pay.gov.gd to donate to the Government of Grenada Natural Disaster Fund via its online payment portal.
How to aid victims of Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica
The General Consulate of Jamaica, New York, The Jamaican American Law Enforcement Organization, and some elected officials in New York are facilitating donations to help the victims of Hurricane Beryl, which damaged or destroyed over 1,000 homes and caused over a billion dollars in damage to hospitals and health clinics.
Here is a non-exclusive list of items you can donate to help Jamaica: lanterns, mattresses, hygiene kits, water storage tanks, industrial stoves, portable generators, flashlights, foam pads, cleaning kits, standby generators, D size batteries, assorted tarpaulin, water containers, wheelbarrows, jerry cans, solar powered batteries, solar powered lanterns, cots, industrial pots and pans, life vests, raincoats, search and rescue equipment, metal rescue boats, and other essential items. Donations can be made at the following locations.
Consulate General of Jamaica
300 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
Office of Assemblymember Brian Cunningham
249 Empire Boulevard
Brooklyn, NY 11225
NYPD JAMLEO
New York City Precincts in all five boroughs
Office of Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman
232-06A Merrick Boulevard
Springfield Gardens, NY 11413
District Office of Senator Roxanne J. Persaud
1222 E 96th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11236
Office of Council Member Selvena N. Brooks Powers
22176 Merrick Boulevard
Laurelton, NY 11413
Office of Assemblymember Jaime Williams
5318 Avenue N
Brooklyn, NY 11234
Office of Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman
903 Utica Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11203
Office of Assemblymember Chantel Jackson
780 Concourse Village West
Ground Floor
Bronx, NY 10451
For more information, send an email to hurricanebeverlyrelief@cogenjamaica-ny.org or call (888) 817-9050.
How to aid victims of Hurricane Beryl in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
The Consulate of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Relief USA are receiving donations for the hurricane victims. They are not accepting food, clothes, or water at this time.
Here is a list of their most urgent items: small generators, tarps, hygiene kits, sleeping cots, bedding kits, water jugs, tents, portable batteries, adult diapers, children’s diapers, mattresses, flashlights and batteries, shovels, wheelbarrows, ropes, and chainsaws. Donations are accepted at the following locations.
Friends of Crown Heights
671-675 Prospect Place, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 638-8686
Closes at 5:30 PM
Standard Shippers
9502 Ditmas Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11236
(718) 469-8377
Closes at 5 p.m.
Donations are received from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Financial Donations:
Zelle: Send funds to SVG Relief USA, Inc. at svgrelief784@gmail.com
Checks: Make checks payable to SVG Relief USA, Inc. and mail to
SVG Relief USA, Inc.
1654 Troy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234
For more information, contact Consul General Rondy McIntosh at (646) 207-3081 and visit the relief fund website of the Government of St. Vincent and The Grenadines.
