With maximum sustained winds of 165 mph and a minimum pressure of 934 mb, Hurricane Beryl-the second named storm and the first major hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season of 2024-moved west-northwestward, causing immense devastation and havoc throughout the Caribbean.
Beryl surpassed Hurricane Audrey of 1957 on June 27, 1957, to become the first-ever Category 5 Atlantic storm on record. Beryl is also the first hurricane to reach Category 4 in June history, the storm that has reached Category 4 from the furthest east, and the first storm to transition from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in less than 48 hours before September.
Meteorological history and forecast of Beryl
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Around June 25, Beryl originated from a tropical wave that broke off from the African coast. When the wave traveled westward over warm waters in the tropical Atlantic on June 28, around 1,225 miles east-southeast of Barbados, it did indeed quickly develop and was named Tropical Depression Two.
After six hours, the depression eventually became Tropical Storm Beryl, which started a fast development process that ended the following day, June 29, when it became a hurricane.
Beryl did indeed continue to strengthen as it moved toward the Lesser Antilles, strengthening to a Category 4 hurricane on June 30 and reaching landfall on the island of Carriacou, Grenada, on July 1 with gusts as high as 155 mph.
Extending its path westward, Beryl eventually entered the Caribbean Sea. On July 2, it peaked as a Category 5 hurricane, registering winds of 165 mph and a pressure of 934 mb (27.6 inHg).
It will weaken a bit due to increasing wind shear and dry air, but it's going to be an extremely dangerous hurricane when Beryl passes within a few miles of Jamaica on the 3rd and the Cayman Islands on the 4th.
As forecast, Beryl will make landfall-its center just west of Montego Bay, Jamaica-as a strong Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 140 mph, and again near George Town, Grand Cayman, as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph.
Beryl will then move into the Gulf of Mexico, where it may gain some strength before making a final landfall near Cancun, Mexico, as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds on July 5. From there, Beryl will rapidly weaken over land and dissipate over the Yucatan Peninsula on July 6.
Beryl, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Carriacou, caused severe damage and fatalities on several Caribbean islands.
The island had 20 inches of rainfall, a 15-foot storm surge, and winds of 155 mph, which resulted in extensive flooding, landslides, and power outages.
Numerous buildings, including residences, schools, churches, and hospitals, were either destroyed or reduced to rubble.
The airport and port are also severely damaged, and this makes the relief effort difficult. On the island, four people died, some others were injured, and many were reported missing.
Preliminary assessments of damage in Carriacou are pegged at US$500 million, making it one of the worst disasters the island has ever seen.
Other islands that became part of Beryl's pathway also sustained heavy damage; these included Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Martinique, where tropical storm warnings were issued.
Off the South American mainland, two people were killed and five others missing when a fishing boat capsized in rough seas caused by Beryl in Venezuela.
Puerto Rico remains unstable from the 2017 destruction caused by Hurricane Maria and was not struck directly by Beryl. However, it still encountered torrential rain and powerful gusty winds, with some flashes of flooding and power blackouts.
On July 2, tropical storm Beryl resulted in eight deaths and over $1 billion in damages.
These numbers are expected to rise further as Beryl further advances into much more populated and vulnerable areas like Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico.
The different governments concerned have declared a state of emergency and called for international support. Teams from the United Nations, the Red Cross, and other humanitarian agencies have been sent to provide assistance and relief to the victims of Beryl.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center has urged residents to follow advice from local authorities and to be prepared for Beryl's life-threatening impacts.
Are there any relief efforts underway?
Relief efforts in response to Hurricane Beryl are in full swing across the Caribbean. The Global Empowerment Mission, a Doral-based organization, is spearheading support initiatives for the islands most affected by the storm.
Emergency evacuations and aid distributions are actively taking place amidst widespread damage. Central Florida has dispatched a relief plane loaded with water purifiers, piloted by veteran Joe Hurston, who has over four decades of experience in disaster relief.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is poised to send personnel to assist local and regional emergency management authorities with relief and recovery operations, while closely monitoring the hurricane's potential impact on Jamaica, Haiti, and Central America.
Additionally, Direct Relief is addressing the urgent medical needs on the ground, having prepped Hurricane Preparedness Packs and mobilized their Caribbean Rapid Response Team.
These collective efforts are vital for providing immediate aid and facilitating the recovery process for those devastated by Hurricane Beryl.
