Early-Season Category 5 Hurricane Beryl Brings Devastation to Caribbean Islands
A powerful Category 5 hurricane, Hurricane Beryl, has made landfall in the Caribbean, bringing widespread destruction and at least five deaths to the region.
Death Toll Rises to Five
According to reports from authorities, the hurricane has left at least three dead in Grenada, one in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and one on the coast of Venezuela.
US National Hurricane Center Issues Warning
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) had previously warned of the storm’s potentially catastrophic effects, noting that the winds unleashed by Beryl intensified to almost 270 km/h. The agency expects the storm to weaken by Wednesday when it reaches the coast of Jamaica, but warns of potentially deadly winds, storm surges, rain, and flash flooding.
Storm Path and Intensity
The eye of Beryl is expected to continue moving rapidly across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea today and is expected to pass near Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday. The NHC notes that Beryl is the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic, with experts saying it is unusual for such a powerful cyclone to form so early in the season.
Devastation and Loss of Life
Two people died in Carriacou, Grenada, when a tree fell on a house, and a third died on the main island of Grenada. Another man died in northeastern Venezuela when a river overflowed. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also suffered catastrophic winds and life-threatening storm surges, leaving devastation and at least one death.
Forecast and Precautions
The NHC forecast storm surges on the southern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, where the Dominican Republic and Haiti are located. The Dominican Republic government has issued a red alert for the provinces of Barahona and Pedernales. The US agency has urged the Cayman Islands and several areas of the Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico to take extreme measures in the face of the advance of Beryl.
