Hurricane Beryl has ravaged the Caribbean, leaving a trail of devastation and at least seven fatalities. The powerful storm, which has already battered islands like Carriacou in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is now targeting Jamaica.
The National Hurricane Center predicts Beryl will make landfall on Jamaica later Wednesday as a major hurricane, meaning Category 3 or higher. This would be only the third hurricane to hit the island in the past 40 years. Satellite imagery reveals the extent of the storm’s destructive force, showing widespread damage across several islands.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister has urged residents to take Beryl seriously and prepare for the storm’s arrival. The island is bracing for a storm surge that could rise up to 9 feet above normal tide levels. A nationwide curfew has been implemented from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to ensure safety and prevent looting.
As Beryl continues its westward path, the Cayman Islands could also experience tropical storm conditions by Wednesday afternoon. The storm’s exact trajectory becomes less certain after Thursday night, but it is likely to make landfall somewhere along Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula or northern Belize on Thursday night or Friday morning. Emergency officials in Texas are closely monitoring the potential impact on the state’s southern coast.
The devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl has sparked renewed calls for climate action. Jamaican officials have highlighted the storm as a stark reminder of how developing countries disproportionately bear the burden of the climate crisis, which fuels more frequent and intense natural disasters. Senator Delroy Williams has called upon the international community to increase funding for coastal cities to enhance their resilience to climate change.
