(Montreal) George Grant last heard from his mother Wednesday afternoon as Hurricane Beryl was bearing down on her native Jamaica. Located in the island’s hilly center, it’s far from potential flooding but still exposed to high winds. Her shutters were down and her refrigerator stocked, Mr. Grant said, and at 80, she exuded the calm of someone who has seen hurricanes all her life.
For now, Mr. Grant, Jamaica’s honorary consul in Montreal, said the situation was “under control,” but Canadians with family in the Caribbean rushed to make sure their loved ones were safe as the hurricane raged.
The Category 4 storm has already killed at least six people and caused significant damage in the southeastern Caribbean, and Grant said some Montrealers of Jamaican descent are now stuck on the island, unable to return to Canada because flights are cancelled.
Kris Bennett, a spokesperson for the Caribbean Coalition Network in Montreal, was born in Guyana but also has family in Barbados, one of the countries affected by Beryl.
A lot of people are worried. They are really anxious to hear from their families. We have all exchanged messages.
Kris Bennett, spokesperson for the Caribbean Coalition Network of Montreal
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly wrote on social media that the government was monitoring the situation and urging Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to the region.
PHOTO SPENCER COLBY, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“Canadians in the area are urged to seek refuge in a safe place and follow our travel advice and alerts on the Global Affairs website,” she said, thanking Air Transat for repatriating the Canadians on Tuesday from the Montego Bay area of Jamaica.
The airline said in a statement that it sent three “rescue flights” to Jamaica on Tuesday, all of which landed safely in Montreal and Toronto on Wednesday morning.
“We’re used to hurricanes. What’s unusual about this hurricane is how early it is in the season and how strong it is,” Grant said, explaining that normally a storm of the magnitude of Beryl occurs in August or September.
With hurricane season just months away, Grant worries that climate change could mean more and more severe storms that would devastate Caribbean livelihoods. Ruined homes, businesses and hotels could also mean an increased need for Caribbean Montrealers to provide for their families back home.
For its part, the Canadian Red Cross announced the launch of a campaign to help those affected by the powerful storm. “Donations to this fund will enable the Red Cross to provide immediate relief, support recovery efforts, and strengthen community preparedness and resilience for future disruptive events,” it said in a press release Wednesday.