Given that Beryl is expected to strike the island directly on Monday morning, the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has declared a nationwide shutdown.
On Sunday, the government issued an order for the police to enforce a shelter-in-place, which will take effect at 7 p.m., according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. After this enforcement period, the government will forbid anyone from utilising the roadways.
“The police have received instructions to enforce this.” You must look after your own needs. It is your responsibility to watch out for your families, friends, and neighbours”.
“There will be serious roof damage from this cyclone. Numerous structures and pieces of equipment could sustain serious damage as a result of this hurricane. Thus, we must do every effort to secure them. Gonsalves emphasised the need of treating this issue seriously and urged everyone in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to consider the effects of recent hurricanes that have affected the area.
“We should also have hope for the better, as do some others. However, we must all be ready for the worst,” Gonsalves said.
At 11.35 am, NOAA and Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft data indicate that Beryl has strengthened to an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane. The maximum sustained winds are estimated to be 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts.
