Trinidadian-born pol heads relief mission to Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique

Loaded with huge suitcases and boxes of clothing, food items and toiletries, among other things, a 13-member contingent of community leaders and volunteers in Canarsie, Brooklyn, led by Trinidadian-born Assemblywoman Jaime Williams, on Monday headed to the tri-island nation of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, carrying relief supplies, especially to the Hurricane Beryl-ravaged Grenada sister-isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

Reports indicate that about 98 percent of Carriacou and most of Petite Martinique were ravaged by the Category 5 hurricane, which also devastated other islands in the southern St. Vincent Grenadines islands, such as Union Island, Canouan, Mayreau and Palm Island, as well as rural parts of Jamaica.

Taking a short break from feverishly gathering and packing relief supplies on Saturday, Williams, representative for the 59th Assembly District in Brooklyn, which encompasses Canarsie, told Caribbean Life, in an exclusive interview, that her New York State Assembly colleague Monique Chandler-Waterman, the daughter of Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants, who represents the adjacent 58th Assembly District, is part of the delegation during the week-long mission that’s warmly accommodated by Jet Blue Airline.

Among other members of the relief delegation are: Trinidadian-born Calvin and Jamaican-born Latoya Sennon, the husband-and-wife owners of TriniJamBK, a Caribbean restaurant on Flatlands Avenue in Canarsie, and Visit Canarsie; Dr. Judy Newton, the Barbadian-born founder and president of the Canarsie-based Newton Foundation, Inc.; Jean Joseph, Dominican-born certified public accountant and president of the Brooklyn Canarsie Lions Club, Inc.; fellow Lion Brenda Cox, a member of the Brooklyn Transition Lions Club and Carriacou native; and Canarsie community worker, Grenadian-born Jennifer Viechweg-Horsford.

Williams said the mission is supported by: Sen. Roxanne Persaud, the Guyanese-born representative for the 19th Senate District in Brooklyn; District Leaders Frank Seddio and Grenadian-born Sarana Purcell, of the 59th and 43rd Districts, respectively; Flatlands Civic Club, Inc.; 69th Precinct Community Council; Grenada Cultural Festival Group; Lead International; and Rampoon Radio.

“Since Hurricane Beryl hit, I’ve been in communication with the CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Consuls General, and we hope we can get concrete commitments from the government,” said Williams, chair of the New York State Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Energy Response and Disaster. “We, as electeds (elected officials), always do fundraisers. It takes nothing to use the money for a good cause.

“In terms of disaster, we cannot do enough,” she added. “That’s why I decided to spearhead this mission to Grenada, specifically to Carriacou. Carriacou is the first. I encourage other electeds to do their part.

“The Caribbean Diaspora is very big in New York State and New York City. I reached out to the governor, the mayor and the federal government (Chuck Schumer, the US Senate Majority Leader, etc.). When others (other countries) are devastated, they get help on the ground,” Williams lamented.

In their letter to Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, Williams said she and Assemblyman Brian Cunningham, representative for the 43rd Assembly District in Brooklyn, whose mother hails from Jamaica, pleaded for immediate aid.

“New York State has always come to the aid of those in need; and, now, with the Caribbean islands reeling from the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl, the situation is urgent,” they wrote in their letter to Schumer, a copy of which was obtained by Caribbean Life. “Therefore, the New York State Assembly Caribbean Caucus is asking our federal elected officials for immediate assistance.

“The New York State Assembly’s Caribbean Caucus is imploring our federal government to provide a military plane to ship necessary materials and vital federal aid to supplement service restoration,” they added. “Many island-nations urgently need power and utility restoration, clearing dangerous debris, medical attention, and assistance with necessary materials on the ground. We would also ask for your intervention to waive the embargo fees to ensure materials arrive quickly to those most in need. “

Besides spending most of their time on Carriacou, viewing and taking account of the ruins, and distributing relief supplies, Williams said the contingent will also visit the northern part of Grenada, particularly the St. Patrick’s constituency, which was also struck by the hurricane.

Cox said she was “happy and honored to be invited to be part of this exercise.”

“I’m looking forward to go to my homeland to see exactly the devastation,” she told Caribbean Life on Saturday, disclosing that her mother’s home in Carriacou was “completely devastated”. “The video I saw tells a very horrific story, and I’m very happy to be there in this time of need.”

Joseph said she considers Grenada to be her second home since her grandparents were born there.

“I want to thank Assemblywoman Williams for including me in this mission,” she said, recalling that Williams had also spearheaded a relief mission to Dominica in 2017, when Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

“As president of the Brooklyn Canarsie Lions, we are reaching out to everyone for help,” Joseph added. “As Lions, we serve.”

Before boarding a JetBlue plane early Monday morning, Sennon told Caribbean Life that  he and his wife “felt compelled to take action” and leverage their platform to rally help and resources for those in need.

He said the mission is not just about providing material support but also about showing “solidarity and compassion to the people who have been enduring the aftermath of the devastating hurricane.”

Calvin and Latoya Sennon emphasized the significance of coming together as a community “to support our neighbors in times of need,” stressing “the power of unity and collaboration in times of crisis”. and highlighting “the resilience and strength of the Caribbean people in the face of adversity.”

They said the journey to deliver hurricane aid to Carriacou, Petite Martinique and Grenada is “testament to the spirit of compassion, unity and solidarity that defines the Caribbean community.”

“It’s something that we always wanted to do, giving back to the community,” Calvin said. “And that’s why we launched Visit Canarsie (in early June) to take up the community work and do it on a broader scale.

“We’re using the platform of TriniJam BK to be able to bring people together, whether it be small contributions,” he added. “Every small thing adds up, to make a big impact for changes in the community.”

A senior United Nations official said on July 6 that Carriacou was virtually “flattened” by the devastating Hurricane Beryl.

As UN humanitarian teams ramp up their support for communities affected across the Caribbean, Simon Springett, UN Resident Coordinator in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, outlined a scene of total devastation in Carriacou – where Beryl first made landfall on Jul. 1.

“The entire island is completely affected; that is literally 100 per cent of the population,” said Springett, speaking via video link from Grenada.

The UN said Hurricane Beryl is the strongest hurricane in history to form in June in the Atlantic Ocean.

Initially a tropical depression, it rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm and briefly reached Category 5 status, with winds up to 240 km/h (150 mph), the UN said.

Springett highlighted the situation as a “very complicated crisis,” one that is marked by severe logistical and access challenges.

He said that four days after the hurricane hit, roads on Carriacou were impassable, and that communications were only restored recently.

“Directly after the hurricane, the seas were exceptionally rough, which made it nearly impossible to get there,” he said. “The air control towers are out – so there is only fly by visibility. But also, even when things get to the airport, there no roads to access the goods.”

Springett said nations near and far were dispatching aid, with a French ship arriving in Carriacou later, as well as assistance from Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.

“We have a large outpouring of international response,” he said. “It is really an international effort, and the UN is really proud to be to be a part of this.”

The UN said the Atlantic storm season runs from June through the end of November, with 17 to 25 named storms expected. It said the average is 14 storms a year.

Of those, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that eight to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes – above the average of seven – including four to seven major hurricanes.

The UN said a major hurricane is category three, four or five on the Saffir Simpson scale, with winds of 110 mph winds (177 km/h), or higher.

“This new reality of unprecedented hurricanes is becoming an annual and ever-present reality for the Caribbean countries while facing the brunt of climate change,” said Rhea Pierre, disaster manager at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

“The severity of damages in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl are tangible and devastating,” she said.