Hurricane Beryl Becomes Record-Breaking Category 5 Storm, Ravages Caribbean
In anticipation of the storm, several islands shut down early on Sunday, halting air travel. Jamaican authorities have prepared shelters and relief supplies. Prime Minister Andrew Holness highlighted the storm as a signal of climate change.
Hurricane Beryl has intensified into a historic Category 5 storm, making it the earliest of its kind in the Atlantic. On Monday night, its winds increased to 160 mph as it tore through the eastern Caribbean, causing widespread destruction. The storm ripped off roofs, toppled trees, and caused power outages, fueled by record warm waters.
Beryl made landfall at 11 a.m. on Grenada’s Carriacou Island with 150 mph winds, making it the earliest Category 4 storm to hit the region. Power was out across Carriacou and nearby islands, all under hurricane and tropical storm warnings. The storm brought heavy rain and a storm surge of 6 to 9 feet.
As of late Monday, Beryl was approaching Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, moving west-northwest at 21 mph. Its winds, at 155 mph, classify it as a strong Category 4 storm. Jamaica and parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti are under hurricane warnings, with impacts expected within 36 hours.
Reports indicate significant damage across the Caribbean, with flooding and infrastructure destruction. Prime ministers of Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua have reported extensive damage but no confirmed deaths. The storm's strength is attributed to abnormally hot sea surface temperatures and favorable wind conditions.
In anticipation of the storm, several islands shut down early on Sunday, halting air travel. Jamaican authorities have prepared shelters and relief supplies. Prime Minister Andrew Holness highlighted the storm as a signal of climate change.
Looking ahead, Beryl is expected to track towards the Yucatan, possibly making landfall near Belize as a Category 1 hurricane or tropical storm on Friday. Its future beyond the Yucatan is uncertain, with the potential to dissipate or re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a disturbance in the Atlantic with a 50% chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next week. The next storm name on the list is Debby.
