“Almost no buildings are still standing. Homes have been flattened, roads blocked, and utility poles have fallen onto the streets,” a victim of Hurricane Beryl reported.
Hurricane Beryl Continues to Sweep Through
Hurricane Beryl is the earliest Category 5 hurricane to form in the Atlantic in 58 years and has caused significant damage in the Caribbean Sea over the past week. This historic storm is currently battering Jamaica with strong winds and heavy rain. Previously, the hurricane resulted in at least 7 fatalities and caused substantial damage in the southeastern Caribbean.
On July 2, Beryl reached its peak with wind speeds of 270 km/h before weakening to a Category 4 hurricane but still maintaining its destructive power.
The destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl on Carriacou Island.
The National Hurricane Center of the United States reported that the eye of Hurricane Beryl is “gliding along the southern coast of Jamaica.” Intense rain and wind have poured down on the island for hours as residents heeded evacuation orders from authorities until the storm passes. Power has been lost in the capital, Kingston. By midday, strong winds had emerged, turning the sea into white-capped waves as the eye of Hurricane Beryl swept over the southern coast of the island.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated on Wednesday afternoon that nearly 500 people had been taken to shelters. Jamaica is in a state of emergency as the island was declared a disaster area just hours before Hurricane Beryl made landfall. Holness noted that the disaster declaration will remain in effect for the next 7 days.
An evacuation order has been issued for communities across Jamaica that are vulnerable to flooding and landslides.
Images showing the impact of the hurricane in Jamaica.
Jon Porter, Chief Meteorologist at AccuWeather, stated: “We are very concerned about the numerous life-threatening impacts in Jamaica,” including storm surge, strong winds, and flash flooding. Porter described Beryl as “the strongest and most dangerous storm threat that Jamaica has faced, probably in decades.”
Storm warnings are currently in effect for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac, as well as the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun. Beryl is expected to weaken slightly over the next day or two but will remain at or near major hurricane strength as it approaches the Cayman Islands on Thursday and the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico by late Thursday or Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
An Island Erased
Surviving the night as Hurricane Beryl swept through her humble home on Union Island (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) with fierce strength, Katrina Coy was astounded by the extent of the destruction she faced.
She reported that almost every building on the island off St. Vincent and the Grenadines had been flattened or severely damaged: “Union Island is in terrible shape after Beryl passed. Literally, almost the entire island is homeless. Almost no buildings are still standing. Homes have been flattened, roads blocked, and utility poles have fallen onto the streets.”
Fisherman and fishing guide Sebastien Sailly stated: “Everything is gone. Right now, I have nowhere to live. It’s like a tornado has passed through here. 90% of the island has been wiped out. I’m sheltering with my wife and daughter, and honestly, I’m not sure we can get out.” The shock and fear were still evident in his voice.
The heavily damaged state of Union Island.
His cousin, Alizee, who runs a hotel with her family, described the terrifying experience as Beryl swept through their town. She recounted how they had to push furniture against the doors and windows to prevent the strong, continuous winds from blowing them away. “The pressure was so great that you could feel it in your ears. We could hear the sound of roofs tearing off and slamming into another building. Windows shattered, flooding occurred. No one knew things would be this bad; everyone was traumatized,” Alizee recalled.
Most residents on this island are facing shortages of food, essential supplies, and shelter as everything has been wiped out in a single night. Due to power outages and loss of communication, people can only send messages by connecting to the Starlink network deployed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The Prime Minister of the island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, stated at a press conference: “Hurricane Beryl – this dangerous and devastating hurricane – has come and gone, leaving behind tremendous destruction, pain, and suffering across our nation. He also promised that the government would respond as quickly as possible to address the long list of tasks to be done in the aftermath of the storm.”
