Beryl maintained strong hurricane strength on Thursday as it passed the Cayman Islands and headed toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where strong winds and heavy rains continued to cause devastation in Jamaica and killed at least 11 people in the region.
The center of Beryl is expected to move across the northwest Caribbean Sea on Thursday afternoon and bring “high winds, dangerous storm surge and destructive surf” to the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday, according to a 2 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. Beryl was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane on Thursday, with winds of 110 mph recorded about 135 miles west of Grand Cayman, the largest island in the Cayman Islands.
Beryl is expected to dump up to half a foot of rain on the Cayman Islands and up to 10 inches on parts of the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, which could cause flash flooding.
The storm surge could raise water levels by up to 3 to 5 feet on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and up to 1 to 3 feet above ground level on the west coast, bringing “enormous and destructive waves.”
Weather officials warned that Beryl could bring life-threatening rough seas and low tides along the coasts of Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman Islands, which could spread to the Yucatan Peninsula and parts of Central America late Thursday, and to eastern Mexico and much of the U.S. Gulf Coast by late Friday.
Hurricane conditions have subsided in the Cayman Islands, but winds are expected to reach tropical storm strength on the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, making it difficult to be outdoors due to dangerous conditions expected later in the day, according to the hurricane center.
The National Hurricane Center has cancelled a hurricane warning for the Cayman Islands, but a warning remains in effect for the Yucatan coast from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun, including the island of Cozumel, and a tropical storm watch is in effect for much of the coast of Belize.
Authorities confirmed at least nine people were killed in Grenada, Venezuela and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, according to Reuters. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told CNN on Thursday that two deaths had been confirmed in the country as a result of Hurricane Beryl.
Drone Footage:Drone transmits shocking footage as Hurricane Beryl batters Caribbean
Developmental status:
The death toll from Beryl had risen to at least 11 by Thursday, but authorities said the toll was expected to rise as communications were restored on islands hit by flooding and strong winds.
▪ Nerissa Gittens MacMillan, Permanent Secretary of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of Agriculture, warned of possible food shortages after the storm wiped out 50 percent of the plantain and banana crop.
Forecasters warned of strong rip currents along much of the Gulf Coast through the weekend, with dangerous surf likely along the south coast of Texas.
As Beryl approaches Mexico, Tulum International Airport, officially known as Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport or Aeropuerto Internacional de Tulum, will be closed from 2 p.m. Thursday until noon Sunday, according to the airport’s website.
Will Hurricane Beryl hit Texas?
Parts of South Texas are currently within the forecast range of Hurricane Beryl, which meteorologists say could reach Texas over the weekend or early Monday.
But forecasters are still unsure how Beryl will move and how strong it will become as it approaches the Gulf Coast after making landfall in Mexico. “Significant uncertainty remains about the path and strength of Beryl,” the National Weather Service said Wednesday.
“The risk of direct impacts from Beryl is low from Panama City, Florida, to New Orleans, but the risk increases significantly from Corpus Christi to Brownsville, Texas, where Beryl could have a greater direct impact,” AccuWeather meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. “The southern part of the Texas coast is an area to be especially cautious of.”
According to Weather.com, the coastal threat could begin as soon as this weekend: “Onshore winds well ahead of Beryl could bring high surf, rip currents and coastal flooding to parts of the Gulf Coast from eastern Mexico to Texas and western Louisiana as early as Saturday, possibly continuing until shortly after Beryl makes final landfall.” The threat of rip currents could extend farther east along the northern Gulf Coast.
“To everyone along the Texas coast, as we approach the holidays, please double-check your weather forecasts and prepare for any possible impacts. If tropical storm-force winds impact communities in the western Gulf of Mexico, it could be midday Saturday,” Brennan said Tuesday.
Governor Greg Abbott directed state emergency management agencies to prepare for hurricane response and recovery efforts. As Beryl’s path headed toward South Texas, officials in Corpus Christi and Brownsville began distributing sandbags to residents, and the Port of Brownsville restricted shipping.
“As South Coast Texans make vacation plans and tourists begin traveling for the holiday weekend, I urge them to take necessary safety precautions, monitor the weather and prepare emergency plans for yourself and your family,” Governor Abbott said in a statement.
Hurricane Beryl Tracking System:Storm heading towards Jamaica, Cayman Islands
Hurricane Beryl threatens Yucatan Peninsula
Beryl is forecast to gradually weaken over the next two days, but is still expected to be at or near hurricane strength as it heads toward the Yucatan Peninsula late Thursday.
Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings remain in effect for parts of the Yucatan Peninsula coast, and the Mexican government has upgraded a tropical storm watch from Progreso to Campeche to a tropical storm warning, the hurricane center said.
The National Hurricane Center warned that Beryl could make landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula as early as Thursday night, with forecasters saying heavy rain and winds, along with dangerous storm surge flooding, would threaten coastal areas.
According to AccuWeather, “widespread power outages and flooding are expected in the area.”
Jamaica faces ‘devastating’ effects of Hurricane Beryl
Widespread power outages occurred across Jamaica after Beryl struck the island’s southern coast on Wednesday. The hurricane became a Category 4 storm and hit the island with destructive winds and rain.
Beryl battered the area as emergency workers evacuated people from areas at risk of flooding.
“It’s terrible. Everything is gone. I’m scared to be in my house,” said Amoy Wellington, 51, a cashier who lives in Top Hill, a rural area in the southern parish of St. Elizabeth. “It’s a disaster.”
At least one person was killed when a tree fell on a home in Hanover Parish, Jamaica, according to Jamaica Disaster Management Agency acting director Richard Thompson. Nearly 1,000 residents had been taken to evacuation centres by Wednesday evening, Thompson said.
Emergency crews evacuated residents from flood-prone areas and the airport was closed after Prime Minister Holness imposed an island-wide curfew on Wednesday.
“We are concerned about widespread damage and devastating impacts in Jamaica,” said AccuWeather chief on-air forecaster Bernie Rayno. “Flooding could last for days or weeks. Widespread power outages are expected. Beryl will cause damage to many homes and businesses and could cause severe flooding along the coast.”
Severe damage has been reported in parts of the Caribbean due to beryl.
The Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency reported Wednesday that more than 90 percent of homes and buildings were destroyed or severely damaged on at least three islands, all in the Grenadines archipelago, where Hurricane Beryl slammed into the Caribbean Sea at the southern tip of the Windward Islands between St. Vincent and Grenada.
The agency, which is represented in 19 countries across the Caribbean, continued to track Beryl’s movements across Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Belize, while helping coordinate disaster response in Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Hurricane Management Agency Executive Director Elizabeth Reilly said damage forecasts for Beryl, which made landfall on Carriacou, were only a “very preliminary outlook.” Beryl pounded the islands on Monday with sustained wind gusts of more than 150 mph, and the National Hurricane Center warned that wind speeds could be up to 30 percent higher on hills and mountaintops.
The impact on the Grenadines has been “significant,” Riley said, leaving residents at risk and vulnerable. Recovery efforts had just begun, but a tropical storm brought rain and gusty winds to affected residents on Wednesday.
Article contributed by Reuters
