Hurricane Beryl: Catastrophic Category 5 Storm Targets Jamaica After Devastating Caribbean Islands

Hurricane Beryl, now a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm, has set its sights on Jamaica after leaving at least three persons dead and causing widespread devastation across several Caribbean islands on Monday.

The storm is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surges to Jamaica on Wednesday, and the Cayman Islands will be impacted on Thursday, where a hurricane watch has been issued.

Beryl is making history as it marks an unusually early start to the hurricane season, being the earliest Category 5 hurricane and only the second Atlantic storm of such strength recorded in July. Its alarming intensification is fueled by abnormally warm ocean waters, a consequence of fossil fuel-driven climate change.

In just minutes, Beryl tore through Grenada on Monday, destroying buildings and knocking out power and phone service for nearly all residents. “In half an hour, Carriacou was flattened,” Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said.

A path of “immense destruction, pain (and) suffering” swept through St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where at least one person has died, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. Many areas, including hospitals, are without electricity, and some lack water. Approximately 90% of homes on Union Island are damaged or destroyed, with hundreds more homes, schools, churches, and government buildings in St. Vincent severely impacted.

“Tomorrow we get up with our commitment and conviction to rebuild our lives and our families’ lives,” Gonsalves said Monday night.

Despite potential fluctuations in strength, Beryl is expected to remain an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” (Category 3 or stronger) through mid-week, the hurricane center reported. The storm will continue to bring strong winds, torrential rain, and hazardous seas across much of the Caribbean, even if it doesn’t make landfall in Jamaica. Its outer bands will still have significant impacts.

The Latest on Beryl

Jamaica Braces for Severe Impacts: A hurricane warning is in place for Jamaica, where hurricane conditions are expected on Wednesday. Tropical storm-force winds are anticipated earlier in the day, with storm surges raising water levels by 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels and rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with isolated totals up to 12 inches.

Dominican Republic and Haiti Under Storm Warnings: The southern coasts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic are under tropical storm warnings, with conditions beginning Tuesday. Storm surges up to 3 feet and rainfall totals up to 6 inches are possible.

Extended State of Emergency in Grenada: Due to severe damage, the state of emergency has been extended until July 7, said Neila K. Ettienne, spokesperson for the prime minister’s office. About 95% of Grenada has lost power, with telecommunications and internet services down in some areas.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Rush to Restore Power: Local authorities are “working feverishly, urgently and with great focus to get electricity in certain places tonight,” Prime Minister Gonsalves stated. Many trees have fallen on power lines, but government buildings will reopen Tuesday, and business owners are urged to open if possible.

Huge Blow to Barbados Fishing Industry: Though Barbados avoided the brunt of the storm, significant storm surge damaged many fishing vessels, a massive loss to the fishing industry. At least 20 boats have sunk, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley reported. Fishermen at the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex could only watch helplessly as waves destroyed their livelihoods.

Cricket Team and Fans Stranded: Some cricket fans and the winning Indian team at the T20 World Cup in Barbados were stranded as Hurricane Beryl forced Grantley Adams International Airport to suspend operations. However, the Indian team is expected to leave Tuesday after the airport’s planned reopening, Mottley said.

Beryl has shattered numerous records, indicating a troubling start to a hurricane season influenced by global warming. On Sunday, it became the earliest major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) in the Atlantic in 58 years and the only one to reach Category 4 status in June. It is also the strongest hurricane known to have passed through the southern Windward Islands, based on NOAA data dating back to 1851.

The storm’s rapid development is attributed to ocean temperatures that are as warm now as they would typically be at the peak of the hurricane season, said Jim Kossin, a hurricane expert and science advisor at the nonprofit First Street Foundation. “Hurricanes don’t know what month it is, they only know what their ambient environment is,” Kossin explained. “Beryl is breaking records for the month of June because Beryl thinks it’s September.”

The unusually warm ocean temperatures fueling Beryl’s unprecedented strengthening “certainly have a human fingerprint on them,” Kossin added.

As Beryl continues its path through the Caribbean, communities brace for its impact, demonstrating resilience in the face of nature’s fury.