Hurricane Beryl wreaks havoc across Jamaica

KINGSTON: Hurricane Beryl unleashed its fury across Jamaica on Wednesday, leaving a path of devastation as the category 4 storm wreaked havoc on the island’s residents.

The storm quickly intensified into one of the Atlantic’s strongest hurricanes ever recorded. Winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour (kph) lashed the island. It caused at least seven fatalities across the Caribbean.

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Jamaica’s Prime Minister described the situation as entering a “second phase of disaster response,” citing extensive infrastructure damage and widespread flooding due to the hurricane. The storm brought a storm surge reaching 6 to 9 feet in height.

Many residents had to leave their homes and find safety in emergency shelters.

Hurricane Beryl hammered southern Jamaica all day with relentless rain and fierce winds. It casued power outages and structural damage. Despite the storm’s center passing just offshore, the entire island experienced winds exceeding 128 kph in some areas.

During a press conference, the Jamaican PM cautioned, “We haven’t seen the worst of it yet.” He warned of the looming threat of heavy rainfall potentially causing more flooding and landslides.

He urged Jamaicans to stay vigilant and follow safety advisories until the storm had completely passed.

Tourists on social media described experiencing the sudden shift from calm weather to a violent storm. They documented worsening conditions in video posts, showing trees violently swaying and heavy rains lashing the island.

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Hurricane Beryl is predicted to continue its track onward, where it will brushing past the Cayman Islands. Emergency preparations are underway as far as southern Texas in the US.

US officials have distributed sandbags and urged voluntary evacuations as a precautionary measure.