Harbour Light of the Windwards and Hurricane Beryl July 1st, 2024.
“My wife and I spent Sunday night [before the arrival of Beryl] at the radio station since I was going to have to give regular updates on the storm all through the night. In the morning, the wind was picking up sharply.
I have never experienced a hurricane greater than category 1 or 2 wind speeds – I don’t know of anyone here who had. We did not, could not, conceive of the power and destruction of wind and rain being driven at speeds greater than 130mph. The eye of Beryl went directly over us as a category 4 plus hurricane. None of us were seriously injured, but each person has a harrowing, lift-threatening story to tell.
After the wind died down enough to go outside, we just had to stand in stunned awe of the devastation before us. Most of the roofs on the island were badly damaged. Many houses were completely demolished, and many – even concrete – structures were destroyed or badly damaged.
At the Harbour Light, we had major damage to our transmitter and generator buildings. The AM tower was on the ground. The FM antenna was on the ground. Only minor damage was done to the Studio, Office, and school buildings. However, our home was ravished by the wind and rain. It looked like a tornado had gone through it.
Many here in Carriacou, Petite Martinique, the north of Grenada, up the Grenadines and as far as southern St. Vincent have lost homes and livelihoods. Miraculously, only two people lost their lives here in Carriacou as a result of the storm. So far, there has been a good response from the Grenada government as well as various aid agencies from the region and around the world.
Luckily there was a safe place – Isaiah’s basement apartment – for our family and guests to resort to during the eye and where we now live. The past two weeks have been spent literally digging out from under the rubble of what was our home and picking through it to save whatever we could.
Clean-up at the Harbour Light has been ongoing as we have had time. We conducted a test power-up of the buildings on Friday (19th) with our little (33 year-old) gas generator and successfully test broadcast on 92.3FM for a couple of hours. There are several areas of needed cleaning and repair – including recommissioning the main generator before we can go on the air full time. Hopefully, we will have the main generator back online this coming week and begin regular broadcasting on FM 92.3 here in Carriacou as well as live internet streaming.
We were provided a Starlink internet connection, solar panels, battery lights and a number of other pieces of equipment (through my brother in the States), which have been a tremendous help – and the only way I am able to write to you today!
There are many needs as you can imagine. Our priority now is to get the Harbour Light back on the air – the streaming, both FM frequencies, and AM 1400 – as soon as possible. The transmitter building roof needs to be replaced. A new generator building needs to be built. A new tower must be secured and erected. Last of all, the mission house needs to be repaired and re-roofed. We will put together a specific needs list with costs for those who have been asking for that in the next email. Our local bank was destroyed as was the post office and many government offices. So please do not send mail until I let you know it is safe to do so. Gifts may be sent to our mission office (Aviation Radio Missionary Service, PO Box 23, Greenville, SC 29602 USA) or made online at our mission website – www.everlastingarms.org.”
Photos from Randi Cornelius.
Before Hurricane Beryl
After Hurricane Beryl
Randy Cornelius via Linus F. Didier to Ydun Ritz (2024-07-22)