Hurricane Beryl hits Jamaica as rain and 145mph winds knock out power ahead of landfall: Live updates
Hurricane Beryl has knocked out power in parts of Jamaica with life-threatening rain and winds
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Hurricane Beryl is hitting Jamaica with life-threatening rain and 145mph winds this afternoon 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 and low-lying areas, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said on Wednesday morning.
The storm will move toward the Cayman Islands tonight before heading to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Grenada was left with “unimaginable” destruction after the storm passed through, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said. Officials said 98 percent of buildings in the nation of 6,000 people had been damaged or destroyed.
Hurricane Beryl has killed at least seven people so far. 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 also has the potential to hit southern Texas and Louisiana over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
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Alliance of Small Island States issues statement on Hurricane Beryl and climate crisis
The Alliance of Small Island States, an organization designed to create a unified voice for small island nations to address the ongoing climate crisis, issued a statement as Hurricane Beryl races through the Caribbean Sea.
“This monstrous storm is still sweeping through the region and the full extent of the losses and damages are yet to be ascertained,” the organization said in a statement.
“As the people of small island developing states, the growing sense of hopelessness is intensifying,” the statement continued. “For decades we have been straining to ensure the world hears our calls for urgent, increased ambition on climate action.”
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.
Island nations are at the front lines of the climate crisis, given their vulnerability to violent storms and sea-level rise.
“We continue to be sacrificed on the frontlines of a climate crisis we did not cause,” the Alliance of Small Island States statement said. “Our sea temperatures grow warmer, encouraging storms to strengthen at alarming speed and increasing the dire threat to our developing countries. The increased danger is evident for the world to see.”
“If the world does not stand with [Small Island Developing States] now, it is only a matter of time before we are all lost.”
Jamaica residents brace for Hurricane Beryl
Hurricane Beryl is on a path to Jamaica, where it will bring “life-threatening” winds and storm surges on Wednesday.
The island is currently under a Hurricane Warning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Now, residents are rushing to grocery stores to stock up on supplies and working to protect their homes.
“I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said late Monday. “It is, however, not a time to panic.”
Jamaican officials are also warning residents in flood-prone areas to prepare for evacuation, the Associated Press reports.
“Weakening should begin later today, but Beryl is still expected to be near major hurricane intensity as it moves into the central Caribbean and passes near Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday,” the National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday.
Hurricane Beryl has already killed at least six people after devastating the eastern Caribbean on Monday. St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said that Hurricane Beryl damaged 90 percent of homes on the nation’s Union Island when it blew through on Monday.
Hurricane Beryl kills at least six people
Hurricane Beryl’s death toll rose to six this afternoon, the Associated Press reports, after the Category 4 storm devastated the eastern Caribbean.
At least three people were killed in Grenada and Carriacou. One of them died in St. George’s, Grenada’s capital, after a tree fell on their home.
“This hits home,” Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said. “The deceased person is in fact the relative of one of the persons who spent the last 36 hours with us here at the National Emergency Operating Center.”
One person was also killed in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on Monday.
Meanwhile, officials reported two deaths in northern Venezuela, as well as five people missing amid heavy rainfall from the hurricane, the Associated Press reports.
The deadly storm is now barreling towards Jamaica, where it is expected to hit on Wednesday.
Hurricane Beryl weakened to Category 4
Hurricane Beryl weakened back down to a Category 4 on Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) said, with winds recorded at 155mph.
However, it is just below the Category 5 threshold of 157mph.
The storm will still bring life-threatening conditions to Hispaniola overnight and Jamaica on Wednesday, the NWS said.
See it: Inside the eye of Hurricane Beryl
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) sent a crew to fly straight into the eye of Hurricane Beryl to collect data for future forecasting and research.
The plane they used, nicknamed “Miss Piggy,” is one of only two aircraft in the world built to specifically fly into the eye of a hurricane, according to the US Air Force.
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.
Satellite imagery: Hurricane Beryl moves through Caribbean Sea
Spaghetti models show potential paths for Hurricane Beryl this week
Tuesday afternoon spaghetti models show Hurricane Beryl could head directly to the southern tip of Texas over the next several days.
Spaghetti models show the potential paths a storm might take. The more clustered the lines, the more confidence there is in that path. However, the models do not predict storm strength or impact.
Forecasters will be able to make more confident projections as Hurricane Beryl gets closer to the Gulf Coast later this week.
For now, Jamaica and Hispaniola are bracing for the Category 5 storm to pass through their region on Wednesday.
Texas now in Hurricane Beryl’s potential path
The southern tip of Texas could potentially be hit by Hurricane Beryl in the coming days, according to the latest projections from the National Weather Service.
The hurricane is projected to hit the region on Sunday, but that forecast could change as the eye of the storm travels north in the coming days.
For now, the Category 5 storm is barreling towards Jamaica and Hispaniola, where it will bring dangerous rainfall and storm surge.
The storm has already killed at least two people in the eastern Caribbean. The extreme winds and storm surge devastated homes and infrastructure throughout the region, leaving many without power.
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