Hurricane Beryl lashes Jamaica's south coast.
Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, during the hurricane
Strong winds and rain from a storm struck Jamaica, causing damage to structures and tree falling on the Caribbean island. Category four storm Beryl made landfall on the island's southern shore, with winds reaching up to 130 mph (215 km/h). Social media images depict blown-up roofs and flooded streets. As the storm moves over the Caribbean, at least seven individuals have lost their lives thus far.
"It's awful. Everything is lost. The Reuters news agency cited Amoy Wellington, a member of a small farming town in the southern St. Elizabeth parish, as saying, "I'm in my house and scared." "It's a disaster." In Jamaica, there is a curfew in place from 6:00 to 18:00 local time (11:00 to 23:00 GMT) due to a hurricane alert. It was originally advised to "take this hurricane seriously" by Prime Minister Andrew Holness. "If you live in a low-lying area, an area historically prone to flooding and landslip, or if you live on the banks of a river or a gully, I implore you to evacuate to a shelter or to safer ground," he stated.
It killed one in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Grenada, where it made landfall for the first time on Monday, and three more in northern Venezuela, where it caused flooding and severe winds. Approximately 90% of Union Island's residences, which is a part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, were destroyed or seriously damaged. "Nearly the entire island without a home" following Hurricane Beryl The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) said it was compelled to postpone the restoration of power lines in some locations for the safety of their employees after parts of Jamaica previously experienced disruptions in the supply of energy and power.
Dr. Michael Brennan, the director of the NHC, predicted "devastating hurricane force winds" for Jamaica during a press briefing. In addition to potentially causing flooding and mudslides, the director stated that life-threatening storm surges up to 9 feet (2.7 metres) above tide level are also anticipated in certain areas of the country where rainfall might reach 12 inches (30 cm). "Everybody in Jamaica needs to be in their safe place and be prepared to stay there for at least the next 12 hours," cautioned Dr. Brennan.
Earlier this week, according to Nick Davis, Jamaicans had been scurrying to supermarkets to acquire "as much as they could as quickly as they could". Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica's Minister of Information, stated that the country has 900 shelters available to accommodate individuals who had to leave their houses.
Hurricane Beryl dumped a lot of rain on Venezuela, flooding the northern state of Sucre with a river. A number of people are still missing and three have died. While assessing the damage, a falling tree struck a delegation from the government. Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez was one of the injured, according to President Nicolás Maduro. She was "very bruised but conscious," according to him. Residents of Cancún, Mexico, have hurried to stores to stock up on goods in anticipation of Hurricane Beryl, which is scheduled to hit in the coming days. A few people have reported finding empty shelves.
Hurricane Beryl formed very earlier in the hurricane season than typical, according to the NHC. Meteorologists have also noted Beryl's rapid development. Hurricane specialist Sam Lillo told the Associated Press news agency that the storm intensified in 42 hours, going from a tropical depression to a major hurricane.
Forecast route for Hurricane Beryl
Authorities in Texas issued a warning to citizens, saying that Beryl might arrive this weekend. Residents living close to the state's Atlantic coast were advised by Governor Greg Abbott to "keep an eye on the gulf" and "have an emergency plan to take care of yourself and your loved ones" on Tuesday. The North Atlantic may see up to seven major hurricanes this year, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an increase from the typical three every season.
