Tropical Storm Bret made its way through the Caribbean on Friday, 23 June 2023. Bret, which formed on 19 June 2023, was the third tropical depression and second named storm to form during the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season. To prepare for the storm, countries activated hurricane shelters and mandated work and school closures.
Bret reached maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour with higher gusts reported in some areas. The storm moved west through the Caribbean at 17 miles per hour. Reports indicated that there were winds of at least 39 miles per hour which extended up to 115 miles from the center.
Watches and Warnings
As Bret approached the region on 22 June 2023, a series of tropical storm watches and tropical storm warnings were issued for Barbados, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia. Individual islands also issued flash flood warnings, small craft and high surf warnings.
Tropical Storm Bret Impacts
Residents were advised that the storm could bring a range of impacts. These included up to 10 inches of rain, flash flooding and coastal impacts. Unfortunately, these impacts materialised and countries in the path reported “storm force gusts, heavy rains, floods and storm surge.”
After the all-clear, there were reports of varied levels of damage. In Barbados, there were a few reports of damaged properties in the north and pumping issues at the Barbados Water Authority. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, power outages occurred in 50% of the customers and there was damage to assets in the agricultural sector.
Additionally, Saint Lucia reported damage to 35 roofs and 17 homes. The island received support from the Barbados’ Department of Emergency Management, the Regional Security System (RSS), the Barbados Defense Force (BDF) and CDEMA. There were no reports of damage in Dominica.
After the storm passed through the island chain, it weakened significantly. The remnants of Tropical Storm Bret dissipated in the Caribbean Sea on 24 June 2023.
Source: CDEMA via ReliefWeb
Image: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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