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Hurricane Beryl churned towards Jamaica Tuesday, with forecasters warning of potentially deadly winds and storm surge after the storm killed at least seven people and caused widespread destruction across the southeastern Caribbean.
Rare Early Season Storm
The powerful hurricane, which is unusual this early in the season, weakened slightly on Tuesday but remained an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm. It is expected to pass “near or over” Jamaica on Wednesday, according to forecasters.
Beryl is notable for being the first storm since US National Hurricane Center (NHC) records began to reach Category 4 in June and the earliest to hit Category 5 in July.
Urgent Warnings for Jamaica
“In Jamaica, you want to be in your safe place by nightfall and be prepared to shelter in place through the day on Wednesday,” said Michael Brennan, the NHC’s director, in a video update.
The NHC has issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica, cautioning that in addition to life-threatening winds and storm surge, residents should expect rain and flash flooding.
Preparations Underway
Across Jamaica, emergency response preparations were in full swing. Shelters were stocking up on provisions, people were securing their homes, and boats were being pulled from the water.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged Jamaicans to stock up on essential supplies such as food, batteries, candles, and water. He also advised securing important documents and removing any trees or items that could pose a danger to properties.
Regional Impact
Apart from Jamaica, hurricane warnings were also in effect for the Cayman Islands, with Beryl expected to pass “near or over” the islands on Wednesday night or early Thursday, according to the NHC.
Beryl has already left a devastating trail in its wake. At least three people were killed in Grenada, one in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and one in Venezuela.
Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell reported that the island of Carriacou, which was hit by the eye of the storm, has been almost completely cut off, with houses, telecommunications, and fuel facilities destroyed.
“We’ve had virtually no communication with Carriacou in the last 12 hours except briefly by satellite phone,” Mitchell said at a news conference.
The small island, home to around 9,000 people, saw at least two fatalities, while a third person was killed on Grenada’s main island when a tree fell on a house.
In St Vincent and the Grenadines, one person on the island of Bequia was reported dead, and in Venezuela’s northeastern coastal state of Sucre, a man died after being swept away by a flooded river, officials reported.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern about the region, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that his organization “stands ready to support the national authorities with any health needs.”
An Alarming Precedent
Experts highlight that it is extremely rare for such a powerful storm to form this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from early June to late November.
Oceans are the main drivers of hurricanes, with heat being a significant factor. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated that Beryl “sets an alarming precedent for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.”
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted in late May that this year would be an “extraordinary” hurricane season, with up to seven storms of Category 3 or above.
Climate Crisis ‘Chief Culprit’
UN climate chief Simon Stiell, who has family on the island of Carriacou, emphasized that climate change is “pushing disasters to record-breaking new levels of destruction.”
“Disasters on a scale that used to be the stuff of science fiction are becoming meteorological facts, and the climate crisis is the chief culprit,” Stiell said, noting that his parents’ property was damaged.
Beryl had maximum sustained winds of 155 miles (250 kilometers) per hour as it headed towards Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday, the NHC reported in its latest update.
Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings have also been issued for parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
