After its destructive path across several small Caribbean islands, Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Jamaica. According to the US hurricane center NHC, the center of the storm hit the southern coast of the country with about three million people yesterday.
“Beryl” continues to move in a west-northwest direction. According to NHC forecasts, the storm center will pass south of the Cayman Islands overnight (local time) and make landfall again on the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula overnight.
With sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour, “Beryl” has now weakened somewhat, but remains a second-strong Category 4 hurricane.
Close the ports
Precautionary measures are being taken in Yucatan’s resort towns of Cancun and Tulum, which according to officials are currently home to more than 380,000 vacationers — and authorities brought more than 10,000 turtle eggs to safety from nests on Playa Delfines Beach in Cancun.
According to media reports, people stocked up on water and food in supermarkets. Windows are protected by wooden panels. Emergency shelters are available, said National Civil Defense Coordinator Laura Velasquez. Ports, including ships, are closed.
500 people in emergency room in Jamaica
There are currently no reports of damage and potential impacts in Jamaica. According to disaster management agency ODPEM, some roads are impassable due to fallen trees or flooding. Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that almost 500 people were being held in emergency accommodation.
Beryl, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season that began in early June, grew from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane within 24 hours last weekend.
According to Philip Klotzbach, an expert at Colorado State University, this is the strongest storm ever recorded during the Atlantic hurricane season, making it the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record in July.
