Beryl exposes coastal fragility

our weeks after the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, Barbados continues to grapple with the stark realities of the fragility of its coastal areas and the vulnerabilities of its beaches.

The storm’s impact has been particularly felt in seaside communities such as Six Men’s, St Peter, which is particularly susceptible to storms and rough seas.

Colin Jordan, Member of Parliament for St Peter, has emphasised the critical need for a coordinated response between government agencies and local stakeholders to address both immediate repairs and long-term infrastructure resilience.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Barbados Labour Party St Peter Branch at Alexandra School last evening, Jordan said Six Men’s was “the tip of the spear” in St Peter as it relates to beach damage from storm systems and high waves.

Jordan recounted the scene on the morning of the storm, as pounding waves breached the coastal road and damaged much of the beach, as well as local landmarks and gathering spots in the fishing village.

“I was shocked, actually, because at half past six, a wave broke and water came right across the road close to the church in Six Men’s on the coast. That was [after] about nine hours of pounding, and so we had damage to Braddie’s Bar; we had damage to the community gathering point, that has been compromised, but the road in Six Men’s has also been compromised, and so it has been reduced to one lane,” he told constituents.

Jordan said while he had not yet been given a starting date for commencement of rehabilitation work on the Six Men’s road, he was in touch with Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw, who has advised him that she has received a quotation for the work.

The MP said Prime Minister Mia Mottley had conducted a thorough tour of Six Men’s in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane. Recognising the widespread nature of the damage, the government has now requested a comprehensive proposal from the Coastal Zone Management Unit for protecting the entire west coast.

“That proposal will then be looked at to see what the priorities will be,” he said, adding that the storm had “very clearly” exposed the magnitude of the challenges on both the west and south coasts.