Hurricane Beryl, which is currently a category 4 storm, has claimed the lives of at least six people as it heads towards Jamaica, the National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday
Hurricane Beryl, currently a category 4 storm, has claimed at least six lives as it exits the Caribbean and heads towards Jamaica.
Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and Haiti’s entire southern coast have all been issued with a hurricane warning. Forecasters anticipate that Beryl will lose some of its power en route but will still be a destructive force when it hits Jamaica early Wednesday.
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By Thursday, the storm is expected to reach the vicinity of the Cayman Islands and move into Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula by Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Officials have reported three fatalities in Grenada and Carriacou, and one in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Two more bodies were discovered in northern Venezuela, where five people are currently missing. Kerryne James, minister of climate resilience, environment and renewable energy, reported a death in Grenada caused by a large tree falling on a house. Kerryne stated that the storm had destroyed several houses in the area, leading to shortages of food, water and baby formula.
Beryl became the earliest storm to escalate into a dangerous category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic due to warm waters. However, the storm has since been downgraded to Category 5.
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Prime Minister Andrew Holness sent a strong message to locals: “I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat,” as residents in Jamaica prepare for Storm Beryl. His warning, broadcast late Monday, follows alerts of potentially life-threatening winds and floods, specifically urging those living in flood-prone areas to ready themselves for evacuation.
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Nonetheless, Holness moved quickly to reassure his people, adding: “It is, however, not a time to panic.”
The path of Storm Beryl was traced Tuesday afternoon approximately 175 miles southeast of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic by officials. The storm’s top winds were reported hitting speeds of 155 mph, moving towards the west-northwest at 22 mph.
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Jamaica appears to be situated directly in Beryl’s path according to Micheal Brennan, Director of Miami NHC.
Micheal Brennan expressed major concerns over the situation in Jamaica during an online briefing stating: “We are most concerned about Jamaica, where we are expecting the core of a major hurricane to pass near or over the island,”. He advised residents to find secure locations where they could weather the storm by Tuesday night and remain there until Wednesday.
His final caution related to Beryl’s expected 5-8 feet surge above regular tide levels and heavy precipitation. Brennan emphasized: “This is a big hazard in the Caribbean, especially with the mountainous islands,” hinting at the high risk of lethal flash floods and mudslides due to Beryl’s impact.
