After leaving a path of destruction in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean, Hurricane Beryl is poised to hammer Jamaica with what could be the strongest storm in 36 years.
CNN reports Beryl could be the biggest storm to hit the island since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. But some models suggest the storm will slide south of the island on 03JUL and perhaps spare it from major damage.
Officials have told residents and tourists to prepare for devastating winds, damaging waves and life-threatening flooding.
“Potentially catastrophic impacts are likely in Jamaica today as the system nears landfall within the next few hours,” WeatherTrackUS said on its Twitter/X site.
The BBC said Jamaican authorities have imposed an island-wide curfew on 03JUL from 06:00 to 18:00 local time.
"If you live in a low-lying area, an area historically prone to flooding and landslide, or if you live on the banks of a river or a gulley, I implore you to evacuate to a shelter or to safer ground," said Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
The Jamaica Tourist Board said all three major airports on the island would be closed today. Re-opening dates will be determined after the storm passes.
The storm could hit the Cayman Islands the night of O3JUL before moving west. Many experts believe the hurricane will diminish as it moves towards Mexico and perhaps Belize, or even north to Texas, but authorities are taking no chances.
The Mexico Times reports that major international airports in the country, including CUN and CZM, “are expected to cease” operations ahead of a potential storm strike on 04JUL.
The Times says the government of Mexico has issued a Hurricane Watch for the coast of Quintana Roo, including Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres.
Beryl left a trail of almost unimaginable devastation in the Windward Islands. Some published stories say six people have died in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, which are part of Grenada. The Independent said three people were killed in Venezuela.
Grenada’s prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, said Carriacou and Petite Martinique suffered “unimaginable” destruction.
Authorities said 98% of buildings on the two islands were destroyed, and virtually all major vegetation was wiped out. Carriacou and Petite Martinique are home to roughly 6,000 people.
It's hard to know how many fatalities occurred as many roads are covered with debris and impassable, Mitchell said.
Reports say 90% of homes on Union Island, part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, were destroyed or severely damaged.
The main airport in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, AIA, is set to reopen the afternoon of 03JUL, TravelWeekly reports.
"As a resilient nation, St Vincent and the Grenadines will recover from this devastation and look forward to welcoming visitors once again to our beautiful 32 islands and cays," said Tourism Minister Carlos James.
Grenada tourism authorities said the main island of Grenada largely escaped the storm and that the main airport reopened 02JUL.
There also were reports of flooding and downed power lines in Barbados and Saint Lucia.
“While Barbados was spared the worst of Hurricane Beryl, the damage left is still staggering,” Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley wrote on her Twitter/X account.
