Hurricane Beryl Brings Destruction and Uncertainty to the Caribbean

Strategic Insights -

As the storm sweeps through the Caribbean, officials have urged residents to prepare for what is expected to be a dangerous and difficult day with strong winds and heavy rains that may bring life-threatening flash floods. The Category 4 storm will pass near or over Jamaica on Wednesday afternoon, bringing a storm surge of up to nine feet and up to eight inches of rain across the island.

Key Takeaways:

  • Hurricane Beryl has caused at least seven deaths and widespread destruction across several Caribbean islands, including Grenada, where roughly 98 percent of buildings were damaged or destroyed.
  • The storm is expected to bring a storm surge of up to nine feet along the coast of Jamaica and up to eight inches of rain, with isolated amounts up to a foot, which may cause life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.
  • Beryl will approach the Cayman Islands overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning with hurricane conditions and two to four feet of storm surge.
  • The storm has weakened slightly to winds of 145 miles per hour, but forecasters still face challenges predicting how much its intensity will decrease as it churns toward the Yucatán and how much it may restrengthen as it emerges into the Gulf of Mexico this weekend.
  • Hurricane Beryl is the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean, surpassing the previous record set by Hurricane Emily on July 17, 2005.
  • A hurricane with winds of at least 111 m.p.h. is considered a major storm, and Beryl's wind speeds peaked on Tuesday with sustained wind speeds of 165 m.p.h.
  • The Mexican government has issued a hurricane watch for the Yucatán Peninsula's east coast, and the government of Belize has issued a tropical storm watch stretching south from the country's border with Mexico to Belize City.
  • Hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean have become more likely to grow from a weak storm into a major Category 3 or higher hurricane within just 24 hours, according to research.

Statistics:

  • The storm surge accompanying Beryl is expected to raise water levels by up to nine feet along the coast of Jamaica.
  • The storm is expected to bring up to eight inches of rain across the island, with isolated amounts up to a foot.
  • Roughly 98 percent of the buildings on Grenada, where about 6,000 people live, had been damaged or destroyed, including the main health facility in Carriacou.
  • The storm has killed at least seven people, including four in Grenada and three in northern Venezuela.
  • Beryl's wind speeds peaked on Tuesday with sustained wind speeds of 165 m.p.h.

Sources:

  • The New York Times
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • Colorado State University