Hurricane Beryl, now a Category 4 storm, is currently drenching Hispaniola and poses a potentially life-threatening threat to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands before heading towards an uncertain future in the Gulf of Mexico, potentially impacting Texas.
Current Status: Beryl's eyewall is moving quickly west-northwest in the eastern Caribbean Sea, well south of Hispaniola. Bands of heavy rain have already impacted the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Beryl has set a record as the earliest hurricane to reach Category 5 strength in the Atlantic, surpassing the previous record set by Hurricane Emily on July 16, 2005.
Warnings and Watches:
Hurricane Warning: Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Hurricane Watch: Southern Hispaniola.
Eastern Coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula: Hurricane Watch.
Belize City: Tropical Storm Watch.
Urgent Preparations: Areas under hurricane warnings should complete preparations immediately. Those under hurricane watches should ensure their plans are ready to be implemented.
Forecast and Timeline:
Through Early Wednesday: Southern Hispaniola will experience outer impacts from Beryl, including flooding rain, storm surge, and occasional strong winds.
Wednesday: Jamaica is expected to face destructive winds, life-threatening storm surge, and torrential rainfall, potentially triggering flash floods and landslides. This could be the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since Hurricane Dean in 2007.
Thursday: The Cayman Islands, particularly Grand Cayman, will encounter storm surge flooding, high winds, and heavy rain.
Friday: Beryl is forecasted to make landfall in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, affecting areas from the Belize border to Cancún with storm surge flooding, damaging winds, and flooding rain.
Weekend: Beryl is likely to enter the southwest Gulf of Mexico, influenced by a high-pressure heat dome over the Southeast U.S.
Future Uncertainty: Beryl's path remains uncertain after the Gulf of Mexico. The weakening and retreat of the Southeast U.S. heat dome might allow Beryl to track towards the northwest or north in the western Gulf. Potential impacts range from eastern Mexico's Gulf Coast to Texas early next week. Despite expected weakening due to wind shear and land interaction, Beryl could still bring significant impacts as a tropical storm or hurricane. Some restrengthening is possible.
Residents along the Gulf Coast from eastern Mexico to Texas should monitor forecasts closely.
Coastal Threats:
Weekend Impact: Onshore winds ahead of Beryl could cause increasing surf, rip currents, and coastal flooding from eastern Mexico to Texas and western Louisiana starting Saturday.
Holiday Weekend: Beachgoers should be cautious of rip currents along the northern Gulf Coast.
Recap of Beryl’s Historic Landfall: Beryl made landfall at 11 a.m. EDT Monday over Carriacou Island with winds of 150 mph, marking it as one of the strongest hurricanes in the region’s history. Reports from storm chasers indicated significant damage, including roofs torn off buildings, downed trees, flooded streets, power outages, and storm surge flooding in the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, and Tobago.
Impacts Noted:
Barbados: 69 mph gust at Grantley Adams International Airport.
Grenada: Gust up to 121 mph.
St. Lucia: 64 mph gust.
Beryl has since regained Category 4 strength and its wind field has expanded, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 40 miles from the center.
Residents and authorities in the path of Hurricane Beryl are urged to stay informed and prepared as the storm progresses.
