Hurricane Beryl, an unprecedented Category 5 storm in the Atlantic, wreaked havoc in the Caribbean region, resulting in fatalities, extensive damage, and forecasts of further destruction as it moves towards Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Mexico.
Hurricane Beryl: Category 5 Storm Wreaks Havoc in Caribbean
San Juan, Puerto Rico – On Tuesday, Hurricane Beryl surged through Caribbean waters as a Category 5 storm. After making landfall in the southeast Caribbean, it caused two fatalities and extensive damage. The hurricane, the earliest Category 5 storm on record in the Atlantic, is now on a path toward Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Beryl’s current trajectory has prompted a hurricane warning for Jamaica and a hurricane watch for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. The storm, with winds reaching 165 mph and located about 370 miles southeast of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic, is expected to weaken slightly but remain formidable.
The storm struck Carriacou in Grenada as a Category 4 hurricane, resulting in one death in Grenada and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Prime Ministers Dickon Mitchell of Grenada and Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines reported significant damage, with 90% of homes on Union Island destroyed.
The National Hurricane Center forecasts Beryl to pass near Jamaica on Wednesday, the Cayman Islands on Thursday, and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday. This hurricane season, anticipated to be well above average, runs from June 1 to November 30.
Photographic contributions were provided by Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images, documenting the aftermath in Barbados where the storm caused significant damage.
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