Hurricane Beryl made its destructive path through the eastern Caribbean, leaving islands devastated and at least eight people dead. The storm, the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, weakened to Category 2 before hitting Mexico as a Category 3, with maximum winds of 115 miles per hour.
Jamaica faced significant damage, with farmland destroyed and homes damaged. Despite the devastation, officials were grateful that the damage was not as severe as expected. The storm then moved toward the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, where evacuations were underway in anticipation of “dangerous” storm surges and damaging waves.
Tourists in popular vacation spots like Cancún were caught off guard by the approaching hurricane, with many unaware of the storm’s arrival. In the Gulf of Mexico, Shell Oil evacuated nonessential workers from an oil platform. The island of Grenada faced devastating destruction, with almost all buildings destroyed.
Recovery efforts were underway, with power and water slowly being restored in Jamaica. Schools were closed, and the central bank remained shut until Friday. Meanwhile, residents in the Cayman Islands breathed a sigh of relief as the storm passed without significant damage.
As Hurricane Beryl demonstrated the early escalation of tropical storms due to above-average sea surface temperatures, forecasters warned of a potentially difficult hurricane season. The resilient Caribbean islands were faced with the daunting task of rebuilding in the storm’s aftermath.
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