Hurricane Beryl, a devastating Category 4 storm, wreaked havoc on Grenada’s Carriacou Island after making landfall on Monday morning. The island was left in ruins, with officials describing it as “flattened” in just half an hour. Reports of extensive storm surge and damaged buildings, including a main hospital, added to the destruction caused by the powerful hurricane.
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell of Grenada reported widespread destruction across the country’s three main islands, including Carriacou and Petite Martinique, where the electric grid was completely down. The storm surge associated with Beryl is expected to raise water levels by up to four feet along the coast of Jamaica as the storm moves past the island on Wednesday. Flash flooding is also a concern as the storm brings heavy rainfall ranging from three to six inches.
Although Beryl was briefly downgraded early Monday, it quickly regained strength and intensified back into a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 155 miles per hour. A tropical storm warning was issued for parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, while a hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica, where hurricane conditions are expected by Wednesday.
Looking ahead, forecasters are closely monitoring Beryl’s path as it could potentially make its way into the Gulf of Mexico by next weekend. However, it is still too early to predict the exact trajectory of the storm beyond the immediate future.
The devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl serves as a stark reminder of the destructive power of these natural disasters, highlighting the importance of preparedness and emergency response measures in vulnerable regions. As communities in the Caribbean begin the arduous process of recovery and rebuilding in the aftermath of this catastrophic storm, the resilience and strength of the affected populations will undoubtedly be put to the test.