'If our culture survives, then so do we': The Caribbean island defying the existential threat of hurricanes

A year after record-breaking Hurricane Beryl, the Caribbean is still reeling - but on one island, defiant traditions are fuelling its climate resilience.

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In Beryl's aftermath, however, some older traditions have resurfaced. Andrews points to the revival of "windbreakers" - sturdy trees planted close to homes on the weather-facing side, a practice once common among elders. Another is the use of secure basements. "As a matter of fact, because of the downstairs [basements], many people survived Hurricane Beryl," he [Tevin Andrews] says.

Architecture is changing too. Contractors are now required to build under closer supervision from planning authorities. "We cannot be naive and think this was a one-off," Andrews says. "Every year the risk is there. We must build stronger, more resilient."

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"We need to be more assertive and creative in pursuing climate justice," she [Rosana John] says.

For John, Grenada's battle is both local and globally symbolic. "Hurricane Beryl reminded us that the climate crisis does not follow a predictable schedule," she says. "True justice means having the resources to rebuild before the next storm hits, not after."

Her call for justice carries echoes of a much older tradition here. Resistance in Grenada has never only been fought in courtrooms or at climate talks, it has also lived in its culture. If Beryl exposed the fragility of buildings, Jab Jab and similar elements of Grenadian culture have revealed the resilience of a people.

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These cultural traditions may have a very tangible role in Grenada's future. Randall Dolland, chairman of the Grenada Tourism Authority, says the country is confronting a hard truth: rising seas may one day take away the very coastlines it is known for. "In decades to come, we may no longer have beaches," says Dolland. "But what we will always have is culture."

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Instead, Grenada is leaning into the cultural experiences that storms cannot wash away: the defiant charge of Jab Jab, the storytelling and rhythm of big drum in Carriacou, the spice markets, the food traditions, the heritage of maroon festivals. In Dolland's words, these are not "add-ons" to the beach holiday. They are becoming the main draw. "If our culture survives, then so do we," he says.

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