Hurricane Beryl has carved its name in meteorological history as the earliest Category 5 storm ever to form in the Atlantic Ocean. This monstrous hurricane, fueled by record-warm waters, is currently charting a course through the Caribbean Sea, leaving destruction in its wake and prompting urgent preparations across multiple island nations.
As of early Tuesday, Beryl was located approximately 300 miles southeast of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic, boasting sustained winds of 165 mph and moving west-northwest at 22 mph. The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica and a hurricane watch for the Cayman Islands, as Beryl is expected to maintain near-major hurricane strength as it approaches these areas midweek.
The storm has already made landfall in the southeast Caribbean, striking Carriacou, an island in Grenada, as a Category 4 hurricane. The aftermath has been devastating, with at least four fatalities reported across Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described the situation as “grim,” citing widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, power outages, and impassable roads.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves reported that 90% of homes on Union Island were destroyed, with similar levels of devastation expected on nearby islands.
The impact of Beryl has drawn comparisons to Hurricane Ivan, which wreaked havoc in the region 20 years ago.
As Beryl continues its path, Jamaica is bracing for potential life-threatening winds and storm surge. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has urged residents to take the threat seriously, encouraging those in flood-prone areas to prepare for possible evacuation. The entire southern coast of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is under a tropical storm warning.
Hurricane Beryl’s rapid intensification has stunned meteorologists.
The storm strengthened from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in just 42 hours, a feat only six other Atlantic hurricanes have accomplished, and never before September
The 2024 hurricane season is already shaping up to be extraordinarily active. Beryl is the second named storm of the season, following Tropical Storm Alberto, which claimed four lives in northeast Mexico earlier this month. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a well-above-average season, with up to 25 named storms, 13 hurricanes, and four major hurricanes possible.