Hurricane Beryl lashes Jamaica as its center brushes past island coast and leaves "Armaggedon-like" destruction
Hurricane Beryl lashes Jamaica as its center brushes past island coast and leaves "Armaggedon-like" destruction
Beryl had winds of 140 mph as it was "‘brushing the south coast of Jamaica," officials said. Its path is uncertain, and Texas warned those on the coast to be prepared.
Beryl lashed Jamaica with strong winds and storm surge and strong waves as the Category 4 hurricane brushed the southern coast of the island Wednesday, officials said.
Beryl had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph when it brushed the Caribbean nation of 2.8 million, and it had 130 mph winds as it approached the southwestern part of the country at 8 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm, which had made history as the strongest hurricane ever recorded in July before it was downgraded from Category 5 to Category 4, has been blamed for at least seven deaths as it devastated parts of the Windward Islands and caused flooding and damage in Venezuela.
No deaths have been reported in Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. He said the hurricane was moving quickly, "which is good for us. The quicker it moves, the better."
Hurricane Beryl leaves "Armaggedon-like" destruction
Caribbean leaders are taking to social media in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, sharing shocking images and video of widespread destruction.
Grenada's prime minister described sweeping destruction on the Caribbean nation's island of Carriacou as "almost Armageddon-like," while the prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines called the damage to Union Island "a devastating spectacle."
The storm made landfall on the tiny island of Grenada on Monday as a Category 4, wiping out much of the island's electrical infrastructure, homes and agriculture.
"Almost total damage or destruction of all buildings, whether they be public buildings, homes or other private facilities," Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said on Tuesday. "Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment. There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou."
Carriacou, which means "Isle of Reefs," is just 13 square miles, but it is the second-largest island within Grenada. Hurricane Beryl's size and strength completely overpowered the island, as well as its neighbor, St. Vincent and the Grenadines' Union Island, which saw 90% of its homes severely damaged or destroyed.