SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Hurricane Beryl passed through open waters on Tuesday as a powerful Category 5 storm, heading towards Jamaica and the Cayman Islands after causing devastation in the southeast Caribbean and claiming the lives of at least four individuals.
A hurricane warning was issued for Jamaica, with a hurricane watch in place for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. Beryl was expected to weaken on Tuesday but remain a major hurricane as it passed close to Jamaica on Wednesday, the Cayman Islands on Thursday, and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening winds and storm surge in Jamaica, prompting officials to advise residents in flood-prone areas to prepare for evacuation.
“I am urging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane threat seriously,” said Prime Minister Andrew Holness in a public address on Monday night. “However, it is not a time to panic.”
Beryl set a record as the earliest Category 5 storm to develop in the Atlantic, fueled by unusually warm waters.
As of early Tuesday, the storm was located about 300 miles southeast of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic, with maximum winds of 165 mph and moving west-northwest at 22 mph.
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“Beryl continues to be a formidable Category 5 hurricane,” stated the National Hurricane Center.
A tropical storm warning was issued for the entire southern coast of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
As Hurricane Beryl traversed the Caribbean Sea, rescue teams across the southeast Caribbean region worked to assess the damage caused by the storm’s landfall on Carriacou, an island in Grenada, as a Category 4 hurricane.
Three individuals were reported dead in Grenada, with one fatality in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials reported.
In Grenada, one death resulted from a tree falling on a house, according to Kerryne James, minister of climate resilience, environment, and renewable energy.
She highlighted that the nearby islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique suffered significant damage, with a focus on providing water, food, and baby formula.
An emergency team was scheduled to visit Carriacou on Tuesday morning.
“The situation is dire,” stated Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell during a news conference on Tuesday. “There is no electricity, and there is extensive destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are impassable, with debris scattered all over the streets.”
Mr. Mitchell added, “The possibility of additional fatalities remains a harsh reality as movement is severely restricted.”
Meanwhile, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves pledged to rebuild the archipelago in an early Tuesday statement. He noted that 90% of homes on Union Island were destroyed, with expectations of similar devastation on Myreau and Canouan islands.
The last major hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago, which claimed numerous lives in Grenada.
Grenadian resident Roy O’Neale, 77, recalled losing his home to Ivan and rebuilding stronger, with his current home sustaining minimal damage from Hurricane Beryl.
“I could hear the wind howling, and for about two hours straight, it was truly terrifying at times,” he shared over the phone. “Tree branches were flying everywhere.”
Beryl has set multiple records, including being the easternmost hurricane to form in the tropical Atlantic in June, as noted by Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University.
The storm rapidly intensified from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in just 42 hours, a feat achieved by only six other Atlantic hurricanes and never before seen in September, according to hurricane expert Sam Lillo.
Beryl is the second named storm in the Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30. Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall in northeast Mexico, resulting in four fatalities.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted an above-average 2024 hurricane season, projecting between 17 and 25 named storms, with up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
An average Atlantic hurricane season typically produces 14 named storms, seven of which become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.
By Dánica Coto
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