In photos: The Jamaican communities fighting to survive climate change post-Hurricane Beryl

When I land in Montego Bay, I’m instantly struck by what’s wrong with much of the tourism in Jamaica—almost every inch of this part of the coastline is covered by high-rise hotels. It’s a stark contrast to what I’d imagined. I’m already frustrated. Is this what we, as tourists, have done to paradise?

As I jump into my taxi for a two-and-a-half-hour drive southwest, I’m about to find the exception, Treasure Beach, perhaps, one of the island’s least developed spots.

Made up of four coves: Billy’s Bay, Frenchman’s Bay, Calabash Bay, and Great Bay, Treasure Beach is also known for its lush landscapes and cultural calendar with events such as the Calabash International Literary Festival attended by the likes of Zadie Smith, Angelina Jolie and Colson Whitehead. Even by Jamaican standards, the pace of life here is slow, in the best way possible. The people I meet say you can experience the ‘real’ Jamaica in Treasure Beach, with its laidback vibe, friendly people, fishing boats, and the occasional whiff of ganja.

But on July 3rd 2024, Treasure Beach became the place where Hurricane Beryl made her most devastating visit. Fallen trees, blocked roads, homes without roofs, power and water non-existent. When I arrive about a month later, most trees have been cleared, but destroyed homes and roadside debris still demonstrate the brute force of Mother Nature.

The last violent hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan in 2004. 20 years on, Beryl swept across the island. It may have occurred outside of traditional hurricane season, but it also didn’t come out of nowhere. Beryl became the earliest storm ever to develop into a category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, peaking with winds of 165mph before weakening to a still destructive category 4. The storm brought winds of up to 130mph on Jamaica’s south coast. Thanks to unseasonably warm sea temperatures it strengthened at a record pace.

“The next morning, everyone was out walking and checking the neighbors and looking to see the damages. We started to rebuild straight away—Jamaicans have a positive approach and an uplifting spirit.”

- Andrew Lynch, resident and game warden

Anthony Gordon, owner of Eggy’s, a local beach restaurant, was caught in the eye of the storm. With a mix of fascination and horror, he describes how he felt the night of the storm: “I never knew a hurricane could make so many different noises. It was like the trees were crying, screaming for something. The sound was like something that was going to eat you alive.”

His business took a hit, physically and financially. With no electricity for a month, the 500,000 Jamaican dollars’ (USD$3,180) worth of lobster, fish and conch in the freezer rotted. “I lost everything, but now I have to try to fight back again,” he tells me. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I have to keep going and hope tourists come back.”

Andrew Lynch is a local resident, game warden and part of the crocodile response team which is responsible for ensuring the safety of both reptiles and humans—if a croc is on the loose, Andrew’s the man to call. He’s hosting me at his Airbnb and kindly driving me to meet residents. We have long conversations about how tight-knit the Treasure Beach community is—everyone knows everyone, which in return makes it incredibly safe, with close to no crime.

I realize this myself when a local stranger asks me if I wanted to come to his house and play a game of dominoes and I say sure. This is how travel should be, I think, creating real, informal connections with the people who live there.

Andrew explains how the community came together the day after Beryl. “A relief is that there was no loss of life in the hurricane,” he says. “The next morning, everyone was out walking and checking the neighbors and looking to see the damages. We started to rebuild straight away—Jamaicans have a positive approach and an uplifting spirit.”

The community spirit may be strong, but the realization that climate change is very much here, and can change lives in an instant, is hard to ignore.

Scientists have found evidence that storms are now becoming fiercer while ocean temperatures around the world have been steadily marching upwards as the planet heats, due to the burning of fossil fuels. With a climate-change influenced ocean, and Jamaica being one of the world’s top tourism destinations, it’s fair to ask: Does the Western world bear responsibility for the climate-related disasters happening in developing countries?

From some of the people I meet, there seems to be a consensus that this is the law of nature, or that God somehow plays a role in it; meanwhile, Andrew is stressing the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns in Jamaica. “Our shorelines are full of plastic, but have also receded, there are no trees on the beach anymore, and the heat is becoming unbearable,” he tells me. “Global warming is real, and weather patterns are not consistent with what was before. It’s very irregular and erratic—it’s quite evident what’s happening.”

Since the storm, there’s no wi-fi in the area except at Jack Sprat, a beach bar where people head to enjoy the reggae soundtrack and sip a Red Stripe beer while checking in with family and friends online. From my Airbnb, I do this 10-minute walk two to three times a day, and Andrew is right—the humidity and blazing sun makes your t-shirt feel like a wet blanket stuck to your skin.

The Caribbean is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions, and scientists say that without immediate action, the islands could eventually become nearly uninhabitable—so, on a bigger level, what are the solutions?

A local woman, Miss Dawkie is sitting on her roofless veranda waiting for us when we pull up. She tells us that it wasn’t until her grandchildren came to escort her to safety that she realized the danger she was in.

The hurricane has left no electricity nor running water in her home. She sleeps outside at night as it’s getting too hot otherwise, and she has to rely on eating canned food as her fridge isn’t operating. It’s a dire situation.

“You have to be strong, grateful and keep on praying,” she says. “We’re alive. But it’s over a month now and no help from the government. The Prime Minister flew down for a photo-op pretty much. I’m feeling abandoned and concerned about the government’s ability to cope with future disasters. Most of the assistance that’s being given is from charities such as Breds.”

Breds Treasure Beach Foundation, a charity organization founded by Jason Henzell, owner of boutique hotel Jake’s, has been around since 1998, building and helping the greater community by supporting environmental practices and education initiatives. In 2011, local fishermen expressed concern about overfishing which led Jason to create the Galleon Beach fishing sanctuary which covers 625 acres of protected sea floor.

More recently, after the storm, they’ve been providing back-to-school assistance to 319 students in the greatest need. In these testing times, Breds has played a huge part in raising money, either directly from visitors at Jake’s or via American Friends Of Jamaica, for example, distributing water generators, meaning most people were without water for only seven days. Now the focus is supplying building material, making sure people can get their life back as soon as possible. “Breds has been a lifesaver,” Miss Dawkie says, “but we need more help.”

Luckily, many tourists have returned to help as volunteers, distributing food, toiletries and other necessities needed immediately after the hurricane. Andrew thinks that tourists could do more, not just after a big natural hazard, when visiting local communities on vacation.

“There’s a disconnect between tourists and the local community in Treasure Beach,” he says. “Tourists should be encouraged to engage more with the residents and support local businesses, rather than being confined to the villas and controlled environments set up by the villa owners. The villa owners often discourage guests from experiencing the local culture fully, which negatively impacts the local economy and community.”

So, is anyone getting adequate help? The day after Hurricane Beryl, the Prime Minister visited, and the government flew helicopters along the coast for the first two weeks to assess the level of destruction and determine how much help was needed. Aid will come, but the assessment is still in the works. Meanwhile, Breds is doing all they can. But this charity is not about first-come-first-serve; instead, they assess by means, based on the level of destruction, and the person’s ability to rebuild.

I head back to Eggy’s. The next-door neighbor introduces herself with a smile.
“My name is Elizabeth Taylor,” she says to me, “The poor one”.

We both laugh out loud. Over a drink I ask if she thinks climate change was an incubator. “I don’t really believe in that. I just think it’s the handiwork of the Lord. Hopefully we’re building back stronger, but we don’t know how strong the next storm will be. Who knows, maybe it’ll be an earthquake.”

“When people respond to hurricane relief efforts, whether small, medium, or large, it truly means a lot … even if the people of Treasure Beach do show a lot of resilience, hope and spirit, we need keep on treating these persons with respect, love and humility.”

- Jason Henzell, owner of boutique hotel Jake’s

But the fact remains that big storms outside of traditional seasons will become more frequent, and the planet and people need to be prepared. More responsibility of the developed world needs to be taken for the climate crisis in the developing world.

The Caribbean is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions, and scientists say that without immediate action, the islands could eventually become nearly uninhabitable—so, on a bigger level, what are the solutions? In 2020, Jamaica became the first Caribbean country to submit an updated climate action plan that sets more ambitious targets for reducing emissions, as well as participating in programs to reduce damage caused by flooding and droughts, and taking steps to encourage agritourism and ecotourism.

This is of course good news, but digging deeper, perhaps its neighbor has next steps already figured out. Barbados has created a plan to phase out carbon emissions by 2030 and developed a national strategy to boost climate resilience, known as Roofs to Reefs, directing public investment to strengthen home construction, increase sustainable land use, improve freshwater storage capacity, and restore coral reefs, which help protect coastlines from waves, storms, and floods. Jamaica could follow suit to build a more climate-resilient society that not only protects its population and ecosystems, but also contributes to a sustainable, low-carbon future.

The local’s solutions are more in line with that everyone plays a role. Whether it’s a multi-national drinks company, government or its people, it’s a collaborative effort where people need to be educated and aware of the effects of climate change. And, not to forget, the importance of tourists coming back to support the local economy, and to donate to charities like Breds.

“When people respond to hurricane relief efforts, whether small, medium, or large, it truly means a lot”, Jason says. “Our ‘Building Back with Love’ campaign resonates deeply with people, showing that in life, our neighbors are global. We need to remain humble and gracious for everything we’ve received, treating people with humility as many feel very vulnerable and exposed right now. And so, even if the people of Treasure Beach do show a lot of resilience, hope and spirit, we need keep on treating these persons with respect, love and humility.”

While replacing roofs, clearing debris and restoring electricity is obviously important, we also need to understand that in a changing climate, we all share a global responsibility to protect vulnerable communities, no matter how resilient they are. After all, our neighbors are global, and paradises like Treasure Beach are worth fighting for—not for just today, but for generations to come.

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