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| AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan |
Hurricane Beryl, a formidable Category 5 storm, surged through the Caribbean on Tuesday, leaving destruction in its wake and threatening to unleash further havoc as it moves toward Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The storm, which has already resulted in at least four deaths after making landfall in the southeast Caribbean, is now on a collision course with some of the region's most vulnerable areas.
With a hurricane warning in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane watch for the Cayman Islands, including Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac, the region is on high alert. According to the National Hurricane Center, Beryl is expected to lose some intensity on Tuesday but will likely remain a potent force as it nears Jamaica on Wednesday, the Cayman Islands on Thursday, and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Friday.
Jamaican officials have urged residents to prepare for the worst, with Prime Minister Andrew Holness stressing the gravity of the situation: “I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat. It is, however, not a time to panic.”
Beryl's early formation as a Category 5 storm is unprecedented in the Atlantic, a testament to the unusually warm waters fueling its strength. The storm was last located about 300 miles southeast of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic, with winds reaching an impressive 165 mph and a steady west-northwest movement.
“Beryl remains an impressive Category 5 hurricane,” the National Hurricane Center noted, underscoring the storm's continued threat. The entire southern coast of Hispaniola is under a tropical storm warning, heightening concerns for the region.
As Beryl advanced through the Caribbean Sea, rescue operations commenced across the southeast Caribbean, where the storm initially struck. The hardest-hit areas included Grenada and Carriacou, where Beryl made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. In Grenada, a fallen tree caused one of the three fatalities reported, while another death occurred in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Kerryne James, Grenada's Minister of Climate Resilience, highlighted the severe damage in Carriacou and Petit Martinique, noting the urgent need for water, food, and baby formula.
An emergency response team is set to deploy to Carriacou, where the devastation is extensive, with homes and businesses flattened by the storm. Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described a dire scenario: “The situation is grim. There is no power, and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are not passable, and in many instances they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets.”
Prime Minister Mitchell also warned of the potential for further fatalities as debris continues to hinder movement. Meanwhile, Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has pledged to rebuild the archipelago, where Union Island has seen 90% of its homes destroyed.
The memory of Hurricane Ivan, which devastated Grenada 20 years ago, looms large for residents like Roy O’Neale, who vividly recalls the storm's terror: “I felt the wind whistling, and then for about two hours straight, it was really, really terrifying at times.”
Beryl's impact extended to the family of U.N. Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, whose parents' home on Carriacou suffered damage. Stiell emphasized the escalating climate crisis: “Whether in my homeland of Carriacou ... hammered by Hurricane Beryl, or in the heatwaves and floods crippling communities in some of the world’s largest economies, it’s clear that the climate crisis is pushing disasters to record-breaking new levels of destruction.”
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| Hurricane Beryl moving across the Caribbean on Monday, July 1, 2024. (NOAA via AP) via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite |
Grenada, famed for its nutmeg production, faces significant challenges in its spice industry, with the northern part of the island hardest hit. Prime Minister Mitchell acknowledged the difficult road ahead: “We certainly expect that we’ll take a beating.”
Beryl has shattered records, including being the easternmost hurricane to form in the tropical Atlantic in June. The storm's rapid intensification from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in just 42 hours is a rare and concerning development.
As the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Beryl's ferocity underscores predictions of an above-average hurricane season, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting up to 25 named storms. The Caribbean braces for what promises to be a challenging hurricane season ahead.
