Two weeks after the tiny Caribbean islands of Carriacou, Petite Martinique and parts of mainland Grenada were ravaged by a Category 4 hurricane, Assemblywoman Jaime Williams (AD 59) led a 13-member contingent, which included her colleague Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman (AD 58), to the islands “to assess needs and provide humanitarian aid to some of the people most impacted by Hurricane Beryl’s fury.”
The team arrived in Grenada on Monday, July 15th, carrying bags and suitcases laden with relief supplies that had been donated by caring and concerned citizens in the diaspora and beyond, who had responded to Williams’ and other elected officials’ appeal for aid to the devastated islands. The items included personal care packages containing soap, body lotion, toothpaste, towels, linens, undergarments, medication and canned foods. There were even a few toys, crayons and coloring books, which brought broad smiles to young children’s faces.
Williams and her team first met with officials at NaDMA (National Disaster Management Agency) in St. George, Grenada. They delivered supplies there and at the Richmond Hill Geriatric Home before touring the parish of St. Patrick where uprooted trees and damaged buildings told the story of Hurricane Beryl’s devastation. They stopped at homes and schools along the way, handing out supplies to the residents and passersby. The group also paid a visit to the Governor General, Dame Cecile La Grenade, to discuss ways on how to further assist with rebuilding efforts.
The scene in Carriacou was far more catastrophic. In an early release after Hurricane Beryl had breezed through the islands wreaking havoc in its path on July 1st, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell announced that “Carriacou had been flattened.” Upon disembarking from the Osprey ferry at Tyrell Bay, the team was greeted by images of Hurricane Beryl’s unrelenting wrath, which was clearly apparent on the roofless port, its façade still bearing the sign, “Welcome to Carriacou!”
The group boarded a truck, which took them to various locations, the first being the NaDMA base in Belair, where they met Permanent Secretary for Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Javan Williams, cousin to NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. After dropping off supplies, they traveled to Dover, one of three villages for which mandatory evacuation orders had been issued in anticipation of Beryl’s rage. An unrecognizable mound of rubble occupied the site where the more than a century old institution, Dover Government School, a designated hurricane shelter, stood before it was flattened by 150 mph winds. Many in Carriacou and the diaspora who attended that school lamented its loss.
The team was swarmed by a group of anxious villagers sheltering in a nearby shed to which they had fled when the school’s walls came crashing down. Minister for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs, Hon. Tevin Andrews, who was also present, expressed his gratitude for the assistance provided to his constituents. Other stops and distributions were made in L’Esterre, Bogles, Belle Vue and Hillsborough before rushing back to the Osprey for the return trip to Mainland Grenada. Since the group did not get to Petite Martinique, Williams plans on making a second trip soon.
Michael Vincent, president of Brooklyn-based Grenada Cultural Festival Group Inc., who was part of the relief team, stated, “I will never forget my experience in Carriacou after Hurricane Beryl. The island, once a vibrant and lush gem, was transformed into a scene of devastation. The fury of the hurricane was evident everywhere – uprooted trees, shattered buildings and debris-filled streets.”
Another team member, Grenadian Jennifer Viechweg-Horsford, who lived through Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005), said she was happy to be part of the relief effort, having worked, at the time, as a Senior Social Worker in Grenada’s Ministry of Social Development. Viechweg-Horsford, who now resides in Canarsie, works in the Office of State Senator Roxanne Persaud (SD 19) and shared that “a great portion of my duties involved Hurricane Sandy recovery.” Through her organization, LEAD’N International (Leaders Engaging in All Round Development), she’s been actively involved in matters pertaining to climate resiliency and disaster preparedness. Viechweg-Horsford said she has identified an area in Levera, St. Patrick and L’Esterre, Carriacou where her resources could be implemented.
The mission was not the first for Williams, who currently chairs NYS Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Emergency Response and Disaster Preparedness. In 2017, after the island of Dominica was devastated by Hurricane Maria, Williams was also on the ground with fellow teammate, Dominican native, Dr. Jean Joseph, CPA. The assemblywoman has also traveled to Puerto Rico, Barbuda, Trinidad, Haiti and Kentucky after they experienced disasters, offering assistance and support there as well.
Williams extends “A very special Thank You” to Jet Blue Corporation, LEAD’N, The Newton Foundation, Visit Canarsie, TriniJam Restaurant, Cops Helping Cops, Grenada Cultural Association, Phileo Outreach International Ministries, Our Lady of Charity RC Church, Ladies Auxiliary Court, 229 Knights of Peter Claver, Brooklyn Jefferson Lions Club, Brooklyn Canarsie Lions Club, Brooklyn Transition Lions Club, Canarsie Courier and all the individual donors who made the expedition to the hurricane-ravaged islands possible.
