Anse La Raye Residents Say Preparedness Softened Beryl’s Blow

Proactive residents of the fishing community of Anse La Raye say they heeded the warnings, and did everything in their power to avert the potential effects and damage from Category 4 hurricane, Beryl. Speaking to the St. Lucia Times on Tuesday, July 2nd, Francisca Mitchell, Chairman of the Anse La Raye Community Council, said one of the community’s first actions was to open the mouth of the river because when the water overflows, the community tends to flood. “The Minister called, and we had some heavy equipment come in to clear the mouth of the river. Usually, it floods. Hence the reason why we were protected from the storm on Monday.  In the coming days we are expecting more bad weather so I hope it remains the same and we stay safe,”  Mitchell stated. Fisherman Vigus Alexander said the Anse La Raye fishermen wasted no time heeding the storm warnings to protect their livelihoods. Alexander advised the island’s fishermen to do the same amid predictions that the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season would be highly active. Other fishermen recalled using all day on Sunday, June 30th, the day before the storm, to come together to pull boats to shore, securing them...