Meteorologist/Reporter
kalain.hosein@guardian.co.tt
Beryl weakened to a tropical storm as it travelled across the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico yesterday. It had made landfall there as a Category 2 hurricane that brought destructive winds and a storm surge to the region. Over the past week, Beryl swept through the eastern Caribbean, flattening the Grenadines.
Then, it brought hurricane conditions to parts of the Greater Antilles, including Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Power outages were reported in the northeastern corner of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico where Beryl made the most recent landfall in Quintana Roo.
State and federal authorities were removing sand, debris, and downed trees from the streets and helping drivers whose cars were stranded on flooded roads. Meanwhile, officials across the Caribbean and Venezuela are still in recovery mode, with the death toll remaining at 11, as deaths continue to be confirmed by authorities.
Death toll increases in Jamaica
Jamaica has now recorded two direct deaths and one indirect death associated with the passage of Hurricane Beryl. Yesterday, the Government of Jamaica expressed condolences and support to the families of 20-year-old Alrick Moncrieffe and 32-year-old Kayon Sterling, who died as a result of the passage of Hurricane Beryl.
Moncrieffe was swept away while playing football with friends on Wednesday after he entered a gully in Arnett Gardens, St Andrew to retrieve the ball, while Sterling was killed after a tree limb fell on her during the hurricane. By Friday night, a third death related to Hurricane Beryl was confirmed. An 80-year-old man was inspecting his home in southern Manchester when a wall collapsed on him, and he was pronounced dead at hospital.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families during this difficult time. Hurricane Beryl has brought significant hardship to our nation, and any loss of life is a profound tragedy,” the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement. Jamaica, which had a brush with Beryl’s eyewall on the southern coastline, saw fallen trees, downed powerlines and power outages, blocked roads, flooding, and damage to critical infrastructure.
According to Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), 159 shelters remained activated, accommodating 970 people, with just over 450,000 still without power as of Wednesday night. Digicel said several sites remained without power on the island and relied on generators, but only 25 per cent of fixed line and cellular service were impacted. All health facilities were operating in emergency mode.
Devastation in SVG, Grenada
In St Vincent and the Grenadines, the confirmed death toll stands at two, based on confirmation by the country’s police service.
During the passage of Hurricane Beryl on Monday, 49-year-old Philbert Bowens was in his home in Union Island when his roof blew off, and he was struck in the chest by debris. He died at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
The second death is James Hazell of Bequia, but the exact cause of death is unknown at this time. It has been widely reported that St Vincent and the Grenadines have recorded three deaths, based on a Reuters report.
However, the St Vincent and the Grenadines police were unable to confirm the third death as of press time. According to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), 98 per cent of structures on Union Island and Mayreau in the Grenadines were damaged or destroyed.
The agency said co-ordination, transportation, and communication still remain challenges nearly five days after the hurricane made landfall at Category 4 strength with winds of 150 miles per hour.
Across St Vincent and the Grenadines, 1,362 people are sheltered in 49 places, with 700 people now evacuated from Union Island. CDEMA said, “There will also be some evacuation from Mayreau and Canuoan.”
Northern Grenada, as well as its northern islands, Petite Martinique and Carriacou, were severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl, with one death on mainland Grenada and two deaths on Carriacou.
According to CDEMA, nearly all structures on Carriacou and Petite Martinique were damaged or destroyed, with northern Grenada suffering damage to homes, agriculture, and forestry. While 70 per cent of electricity was restored on the mainland, CDEMA said restoration on the smaller islands will take weeks as the electrical grid will have to be rebuilt. The airport in Carriacou has been destroyed. CDEMA said while the airport can receive aircraft, there are no communications. Five of the six medical facilities across the tri-island state have been damaged.
Beryl causes devastation, even on the periphery
Meanwhile, in northern Venezuela, the search continued yesterday for five of the eight missing people swept away by floods associated with Hurricane Beryl’s outer bands, with three bodies recovered this past week. Over 25,000 people were affected, with 145 businesses experiencing a total loss after the Manzanares River swept through the small town of Cumanacoa in Sucre in northern Venezuela.
The Cayman Islands, which were affected by the hurricane from Wednesday night to Thursday, experienced more severe effects from storm surges and strong winds on the southern portion of the islands. In Barbados, which also suffered strong winds and a storm surge, over 200 fishing vessels were damaged or destroyed, impacting the fishing industry and damaging coastal infrastructure and properties. Tobago reported 236 incidents of fallen trees, structural damage, marine incidents, power outages, and flooding, with 35 people still displaced due to significant roof damage or structural damage as of Thursday evening.
Latest on Beryl
Now, Beryl is forecast to emerge in the Gulf of Mexico early today and strengthen over the weekend as it targets the Texas coastline. The National Hurricane Centre has issued a Hurricane Watch and Storm Surge Watch for the Texas coast, from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to Sargent.
The Meteorological Service of Mexico has issued a Hurricane Watch for the northeastern coast of Mexico, from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande. Forecasters said, “Re-intensification is expected once the centre moves back over the Gulf of Mexico, and Beryl is forecast to regain hurricane status on Sunday,” bringing tropical storm and hurricane conditions, storm surge, heavy rainfall, and rough seas to the region.
The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season has produced three named storms—Alberto, Beryl, and Chris—all of which have made landfall across Mexico. The peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from August through October. Forecasters say a hyperactive hurricane season remains likely, with record warmth in the Atlantic.
On average, a typical Atlantic Hurricane Season produces its first named storm by June 20th, the third named storm by August 3rd, its first hurricane by August 11th, and the first major hurricane by September 1st. 2024 has surpassed all of these average dates, with Beryl, amongst all the other records it has broken, becoming the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, beating Hurricane Emily from 2005 by two weeks.