“Beryl” leaves 7 dead in the Caribbean

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada (AP) — Hurricane Beryl moved through open waters as a powerful Category 4 storm toward Jamaica yesterday following crossing islands in the southeastern Caribbean, killing at least seven people.

A hurricane watch has been issued for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

Beryl was losing intensity but was still forecast to be near major hurricane strength when it passes near or over Jamaica this morning, near the Cayman Islands tomorrow and toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula the day following tomorrow, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane warning has been issued for the southern coast of Haiti and the eastern coast of Yucatan.

Belize has issued a tropical storm warning extending from its border with Mexico south to Belize City.

Last night, Beryl became the first storm to become a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic and reached peak winds of 270 kilometers per hour yesterday before weakening to a still-destructive Category 4.

The storm was located regarding 580 kilometers east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, last night.

It had maximum winds of 240 kph and was moving west-northwest at 35 kph, the center said.

Beryl was expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica, where officials warned residents in flood-prone areas to prepare to evacuate.

“I encourage all Jamaicans to consider the hurricane as a serious threat,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a public address yesterday. “However, this is not the time to panic.”

In Miami, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said Jamaica appears to be in Beryl’s direct path.

“We are very concerned regarding Jamaica, where we expect the core of a major hurricane to pass near or over the island,” he said in an online press conference. “It is best to be in a safe location where you can ride out the storm by nightfall (yesterday). Be prepared to remain in that location until Wednesday.”

Storm surges of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above typical tide levels, as well as heavy rainfall, are likely in Jamaica.

“This poses a significant risk in the Caribbean, especially in the mountainous islands,” Brennan added. “This might cause life-threatening flash flooding and landslides in some of these areas.”

A tropical storm warning has been issued for the entire southern coast of Hispaniola, an island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

As the storm moved across the Caribbean Sea, rescue teams on southeastern islands were deployed to determine the extent of the damage Beryl caused on Carriacou, an island in Grenada.

According to authorities, three people died in Grenada and Carriacou and another in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Another three people died in northeastern Venezuela, where four people are missing, according to authorities.

Some 25,000 people in that area were also affected by Beryl’s heavy rains.