Category 4 Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in the east Caribbean with 150 mph winds

Over the weekend, Beryl surpassed expectations and rapidly intensified into the first major hurricane of the season in the abnormally hot Atlantic. Beryl is now the earliest Category 4 storm to form in the Atlantic, beating out a record from Hurricane Dennis set on July 8, 2005, a notably intense year for storms.

Battering in the Caribbean

It was too early to assess Beryl’s toll but the early reports suggested widespread flooding and damage.

“Initial reports have indicated significant damage and destruction to infrastructure and private property in some territories,” said Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who currently serves as chairman of the 15-member Caribbean Community regional grouping known as CARICOM.

As Beryl battered the tiny island of Carriacou, off the coast of Grenada, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines residents were also feeling the Beryl’s strong Category 4 winds, which brought the surf inland. Prime Minister Gonsalves said the eye’s passage over the southern Grenadines “has caused severe damage in Grenada and we are getting the other bands of the wind.”

“We’re getting lots of rain, massive wave action. A lot of houses have lost their roofs and the brunt hasn’t hit us yet,” Gonsalves said. “In Carriacou, they’ve lost a lot of roofs, and in Union Islands.”

Wind gusts of 175 mph were registered for Carriacou and Petite Martinique in the southern Grenadines.

In preparations for the hurricane’s passage, several islands in the storm’s path shut down early on Sunday, which included ceasing all air travel. Ahead of the storm, Gonsalves declared a disaster area for the whole country, while Grenada’s government declared a state of emergency.

“It’s bad no question about it, a lot of homes are down, electricity is off. It’s bad, it’s bad,” Gonsalves said.

On Monday, at least five arrivals and six departures were canceled from Miami International Airport due to the storm. Any flight to or from Barbados, Trinidad, St. Vincent, Grenada and St. Lucia was also canceled.

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