Beryl Intensifies to Category 5 Storm in Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl has escalated into a “potentially catastrophic” Category 5 storm, the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. As Beryl heads towards Jamaica, it has already caused significant destruction across southeastern Caribbean islands by toppling power lines, damaging homes, and flooding streets.
Beryl, which became the earliest recorded Category 4 storm, first made landfall on Carriacou island in Grenada on Monday. By 11.00 pm (03:00 GMT), the NHC announced that Beryl had intensified into a Category 5 hurricane. Despite expected fluctuations in strength, Beryl is projected to maintain its intensity as it traverses the Caribbean.
Carriacou faced the storm’s “extremely dangerous eyewall” directly, experiencing sustained winds of over 240 kilometers per hour (150 mph). Nearby islands, including Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines, also endured “catastrophic winds and life-threatening storm surge,” according to the NHC.
Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, described the severe impact on Carriacou: “In half an hour, Carriacou was flattened.” He confirmed one death but stated that communication with Carriacou and Petite Martinique was mostly down, hindering the assessment of damage and further casualties. “We do hope there aren’t any other fatalities or any injuries,” he stated, emphasizing the difficulty of the situation. Government teams are set to investigate the damage early on Tuesday. Streets from St Lucia to Grenada were strewn with debris, including shoes, trees, and downed power lines.
In Bridgetown, Barbados, shop owner Vichelle Clark King was heartbroken as she looked over her sand and water-damaged shop: “Right now, I’m real heartbroken.”
The NHC has projected that Beryl will approach Jamaica by Wednesday. Jamaica’s government issued a hurricane warning, and tropical storm warnings are in place for parts of the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The last major hurricane to strike the southeastern Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan, which killed dozens in Grenada two decades ago. Beryl, which became the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season on Saturday, quickly reached Category 4 status.
Experts suggest that the unusual strength of Beryl so early in the season is likely linked to climate change. The rising temperatures in the North Atlantic have led to increased surface water evaporation, fueling more intense hurricanes. “Climate change is loading the dice for more intense hurricanes to form,” stated Christopher Rozoff, an atmospheric scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado.
Meteorologist Andra Garner observed that Beryl rapidly intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm in less than 10 hours. Her studies indicate that higher water temperatures over the past fifty years have made rapid storm intensification more than twice as likely. In May, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted above-normal hurricane activity for the Atlantic this year, pointing to abnormally high ocean temperatures.
In Kingston, Jamaica, waiter Welton Anderson at the Chillin’ restaurant expressed a sense of calm despite the impending hurricane. “Jamaicans wait until the last minute. The night before or in the morning, the panic sets in. It’s because we’re used to this,” he explained. Across the eastern Caribbean, residents prepared by boarding up windows, stocking up on provisions, and fueling their vehicles. Mexican authorities also began preparations for Beryl’s expected arrival later in the week, urging the public to exercise “extreme caution.”
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