Published July 3, 2024, 12:39pm EDT
Maxar Technologies has released satellite images that starkly illustrate the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl on several Caribbean islands. The Category 4 storm, with winds reaching 150 mph, made landfall on Monday morning in Carriacou, an island in Grenada, and left a trail of destruction across neighboring islands including Petite Martinique, Petite St. Vincent, and Union Island. Officials have confirmed multiple fatalities, with the death toll expected to rise.
The satellite photos reveal the extent of the damage in Carriacou, where entire communities have been obliterated. Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, described the devastation as “horrendous.” The images show a stark contrast between the islands before and after the storm, with the once lush and vibrant landscapes now marred by storm surge, powerful winds, and torrential rains.
Clifton Harbor on Union Island suffered severe damage, with reports indicating that 90% of the houses have been either severely damaged or destroyed. The Union Island airport’s roof was completely torn off, rendering it inoperable. As Beryl continues its path across the Atlantic, it is expected to impact Jamaica and Haiti next.
In preparation for the storm, residents in Kingston, Jamaica, were seen boarding up windows and making last-minute preparations. Beryl lashed Jamaica overnight and passed just south of the Cayman Islands on Thursday morning before heading towards Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The storm hit Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane and continued as a Category 3, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The NHC reported that Beryl was about 95 miles southwest of Grand Cayman and moving west-northwest at about 18 miles per hour. The storm is expected to bring strong winds, dangerous storm surge, and damaging waves to the Yucatán Peninsula by early Friday. The Caymans, Cuba, and Jamaica are already experiencing large swells and potentially life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Beryl’s maximum sustained winds decreased to 115 miles per hour after being downgraded from a Category 5. The storm has killed at least seven people, caused widespread power outages, destroyed buildings, and blocked roads in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as northern Venezuela.
NHC Director Michael Brennan noted that while Beryl has begun to weaken, it remains a powerful hurricane. The storm is expected to cause flash flooding and mudslides in Jamaica and parts of Haiti, with mountainous areas experiencing destructive wind gusts. Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a “major disaster area” and implemented an island-wide curfew to ensure safety and prevent criminal activity during the storm.
Jamaica’s international airports were closed, and officials anticipated shutting off electricity and water services as a precaution. The island’s size and geographical location make it an unlikely target for direct hits, with only two hurricanes making landfall there in the last 40 years.
The NHC has issued hurricane warnings for the Cayman Islands and parts of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. While the storm is expected to weaken, it will likely remain a hurricane until it makes landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula. Beryl is expected to bring four to six inches of rain, with localized amounts of up to 10 inches, and storm surge along the east coast of the peninsula could reach four to six feet above ground level.
As Caribbean islands assess the widespread damage, photos show roofs torn from buildings, fishing vessels destroyed, and roads flooded. Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada were among the hardest hit, with about 98% of buildings damaged or destroyed. Three storm-related fatalities have been confirmed in Carriacou, and the possibility of more fatalities remains a grim reality.
In northern Venezuela’s Sucre state, two deaths have been reported, with five people unaccounted for and 25,000 affected by heavy rains, winds, and river flooding. Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was injured by a falling tree while visiting an affected town.
Union Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines also suffered severe damage, with 90% of houses damaged or destroyed. The Union Island airport’s roof was completely torn off. As recovery efforts begin, offers of help are pouring in. President Biden expressed support for the impacted communities, and the nonprofit World Central Kitchen is mobilizing to distribute food across the region.
As Beryl heads towards the Gulf of Mexico, Texas could be at risk. The NHC warns that tropical storm conditions are expected along the south coast of Hispaniola and possibly along the coast of Belize. Hurricane conditions are possible along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management is urging residents and visitors in coastal areas to stay weather-aware and have an emergency plan ready. Meteorologist Eric Berger noted that while Beryl’s impact on central Texas is uncertain, enhanced rain chances are expected over the weekend.
Beryl is an unusually strong hurricane for this early in the season, fueled by record-high ocean temperatures driven by climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an extra active Atlantic hurricane season. Jamaican officials are highlighting the storm as an example of how developing countries bear the brunt of climate change.
Jamaican Prime Minister Holness emphasized the urgent need for global climate action and support to enhance resilience against climate change. Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and a native of Carriacou, called climate change a present-day issue, noting that disasters once considered science fiction are now meteorological facts.
As Beryl continues to impact the Caribbean, the region braces for further challenges and recovery efforts.
Source: Maxar Technologies, U.S. National Hurricane Center, The Associated Press, CNN, CBS News, The New York Times, World Central Kitchen, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Houston Public Media, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
