Hurricane Beryl slams into Jamaica with life-threatening storm surge and winds: Live updates
Hurricane Beryl’s path includes Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, where it will bring life-threatening storm conditions
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Hurricane Beryl is hitting Jamaica with life-threatening rain, 145mph winds and storm surge that could raise coastal levels by 9 feet after charting a deadly path through the eastern Caribbean.
High winds from the Category 4 storm have already knocked down power lines in Portland, the Jamaica Observer reports. Officials have declared Jamaica a disaster area and imposed a curfew for Wednesday.
There are more than 900 shelters across Jamaica and an evacuation process for those in flood-prone areas, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said.
The storm’s eye will approach the Cayman Islands tonight before heading toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Hurricane Beryl has killed at least seven people. The storm intensified to the earliest Category 5 storm recorded in the Atlantic overnight before weakening back to Category 4 on Tuesday.
While the storm is expected to weaken later this week, it will likely remain a major hurricane. Hurricane Beryl has the potential to hit southern Texas and Louisiana over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Grenada was left with “unimaginable” destruction after the storm passed through Monday, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said. Officials said 98 percent of buildings in the nation of 6,000 had been damaged or destroyed.
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Hurricane Beryl: Meteorologists warn of 'increasing risk' to US
Meteorologists from AccuWeather have raised concerns about the growing threat that Hurricane Beryl poses to the Texas Gulf Coast this weekend, even as the storm is expected to weaken as it moves closer.
Beryl, recently downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm, is currently bearing down on Jamaica with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.
While Beryl is expected to weaken due to wind shear as it moves west, if it remains strong, the storm could turn north towards the US and impact areas from the Louisiana coastline south of New Orleans to the Texas coast.
“We’re getting more concerned that the upper-level atmospheric winds that steer a hurricane like Beryl can support a turn to the north this weekend,” said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva.
“If Beryl is torn apart by wind shear over the next few days, it’s more likely to follow the trade winds and move west into Mexico.”
“Unfortunately, we’re more concerned the storm will be a little stronger, which combined with the steering winds, may lead to Beryl moving toward the Texas Gulf Coast.”
Jamaica declared 'disaster area' ahead of Hurricane Beryl
The entire island of Jamaica has been declared a ‘disaster area’ ahead of Hurricane Beryl’s arrival.
Prime minister Andrew Holness made the pre-emptive announcement on Tuesday night in an address to the public ahead of the storm’s arrival on Wednesday.
An island-wide curfew will also be in place from 6am to 6pm local time (11am-11pm GMT) on Wednesday.Three airports - Sangster International (Montego Bay), Norman Manley International (Kingston) and Ian Fleming International (Ocho Rios) - were shut down on Tuesday evening and will remain closed through Wednesday.
Jamaica is right on the path of the hurricane which is heading to the island with as a Category 4 storm with 155mph.
Beryl charted a deadly path through Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines, destroying buildings and killing at least seven.
ICYMI: Grenada reopens airport after destructive Hurricane Beryl
Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport reopened Tuesday morning after Hurricane Beryl swept through the region yesterday, a spokesperson for the island’s tourism authority said in a statement.
“However, we’re deeply saddened by the widespread damage and news of fatalities on our sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique,” the spokesperson continued. “We are working closely with the emergency services to ensure support and relief efforts are in place as soon as possible, as well as the restoration of vital services.”
Several airports in the eastern Caribbean saw widespread cancelations as Hurricane Beryl blew through.
Special flight lands in Barbados to evacuate stranded Indian cricket team
A special Air India flight has landed in Barbados to evacuate the Indian cricket team which got stranded in the Caribbean due to Hurricane Beryl.
The team, along with coaches and officials from the cricket board, will fly back to India on Wednesday, news agency ANI reported.
The world-cup winners were celebrating their victory when airports shut down on Sunday due to Hurricane Beryl, leaving the the players and officials stranded in Barbados, along with many cricket fans.
Satellite imagery: Hurricane Beryl moves through Caribbean Sea
Death toll from Hurricane Beryl rises to 7
Venezuela has announced a third death as the death toll from Hurricane Beryl rises to at least seven people.
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro announced on Tuesday that the deceased included two men and one woman from the northeastern town of Cumanacoa, in the state of Sucre.
“May they rest in peace, our condolences, and sentiments to their families. I have ordered full support to the families,” Mr Maduro said.
In other regions, four people - one in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and three others in Grenada - died when Beryl tore through the islands on Monday night.
Mr Maduro said four people are still missing and 8,000 homes have been affected, with 400 of them completely destroyed, according to the president.
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines suffer 'horrendous' damages, prime minister says
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars worth of "horrendous" damages after Hurricane Beryl, the prime minister said.
"This is a horrific hurricane," said Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to Al Jazeera, adding that houses, schools and health facilities were without electricity and some parts didn't have drinking water
"On the main island of Saint Vincent, we have had substantial damage, horrendous damage but not to the same extent as the devastation in the southern part," he said on Tuesday.
"It could be hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage and loss."
President Biden speaks on extreme weather and climate crisis
As Hurricane Beryl rages through the Caribbean Sea, President Joe Biden spoke on the impacts of the climate crisis.
“Everyone who wilfully denies the impacts of climate change is condemning the American people to a dangerous future, and either is really, really dumb or has some other motive,” Biden said on Tuesday afternoon.
Record-warm ocean temperatures gave Hurricane Beryl the strength to grow from a tropical depression to a Category 4 storm in a matter of days.
While natural weather patterns like La Nina can help drive catastrophic storms like Hurricane Beryl, the human-driven climate crisis still plays a role, as oceans absorb more than 90 percent of excess heat produced by greenhouse gases.
High water temperatures can contribute to sea level rise and hurt marine life in addition to fueling strong storms like Hurricane Beryl. Ocean temperatures will likely continue to rise even if we curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to NOAA.
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