Jamaica braces for Hurricane Beryl as storm thrashes Caribbean and targets US: Live

Hurricane Beryl destroyed homes and knocked out power as it passed through Bequia, the largest island in the Grenadines.

At least one person died on the island because of the storm, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on Monday. The hurricane also damaged or destroyed 90 percent of homes on the nation’s Union Island.

Hurricane Beryl has now beaten two historic records in the Atlantic.

Beryl was named the earliest Category 5 hurricane recorded in the Atlantic after it strengthened late on Monday, the National Hurricane Center has said. The previous title was held by Hurricane Emily, who reached Category 5 on July 16, 2005.

Beryl was also named the earliest-ever Category 4 hurricane as it approached the eastern Caribbean over the weekend, as well as the only Category 4 in the month of June.

In this category, Beryl beat Hurricane Dennis, which became a Category 4 storm on July 8, 2005.

The deadly storm weakened back down to a Category 4 on Tuesday afternoon. It is now barreling towards Jamaica, where officials warn residents should rush life-saving protections to completion.

Measures to protect life and property in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands should be “rushed to completion,” the National Weather Service said early Tuesday evening.

“Life-threatening winds and storm surge” will hit Jamaica on Wednesday before moving to the Cayman Islands that evening, the NWS forecasts.

Life-threatening flash flooding will impact Jamaica and southern Hispaniola through Wednesday night.

The NWS said there is still uncertainty about Beryl’s path afterward — however, projections show it could hit southern Texas by the week’s end.

The Alliance of Small Island States, an organization designed to create a unified voice for small island nations to address the ongoing climate crisis, issued a statement as Hurricane Beryl races through the Caribbean Sea.

“This monstrous storm is still sweeping through the region and the full extent of the losses and damages are yet to be ascertained,” the organization said in a statement.

“As the people of small island developing states, the growing sense of hopelessness is intensifying,” the statement continued. “For decades we have been straining to ensure the world hears our calls for urgent, increased ambition on climate action.”

Record-warm ocean temperatures gave Hurricane Beryl the strength to grow from a tropical depression to a Category 4 storm in a matter of days. While natural weather patterns like La Nina can help drive catastrophic storms like Hurricane Beryl, the human-driven climate crisis still plays a role, as oceans absorb more than 90 percent of excess heat produced by greenhouse gases.

High water temperatures can contribute to sea level rise and hurt marine life in addition to fueling strong storms like Hurricane Beryl. Ocean temperatures will likely continue to rise even if we curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to NOAA.

Island nations are at the front lines of the climate crisis, given their vulnerability to violent storms and sea-level rise.

“We continue to be sacrificed on the frontlines of a climate crisis we did not cause,” the Alliance of Small Island States statement said. “Our sea temperatures grow warmer, encouraging storms to strengthen at alarming speed and increasing the dire threat to our developing countries. The increased danger is evident for the world to see.”

“If the world does not stand with [Small Island Developing States] now, it is only a matter of time before we are all lost.”

Hurricane Beryl is on a path to Jamaica, where it will bring “life-threatening” winds and storm surges on Wednesday.

The island is currently under a Hurricane Warning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Now, residents are rushing to grocery stores to stock up on supplies and working to protect their homes.

“I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said late Monday. “It is, however, not a time to panic.”

Jamaican officials are also warning residents in flood-prone areas to prepare for evacuation, the Associated Press reports.

“Weakening should begin later today, but Beryl is still expected to be near major hurricane intensity as it moves into the central Caribbean and passes near Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday,” the National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday.

Hurricane Beryl has already killed at least six people after devastating the eastern Caribbean on Monday. St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said that Hurricane Beryl damaged 90 percent of homes on the nation’s Union Island when it blew through on Monday.

Hurricane Beryl’s death toll rose to six this afternoon, the Associated Press reports, after the Category 4 storm devastated the eastern Caribbean.

At least three people were killed in Grenada and Carriacou. One of them died in St. George’s, Grenada’s capital, after a tree fell on their home.

“This hits home,” Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said. “The deceased person is in fact the relative of one of the persons who spent the last 36 hours with us here at the National Emergency Operating Center.”

One person was also killed in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on Monday.

Meanwhile, officials reported two deaths in northern Venezuela, as well as five people missing amid heavy rainfall from the hurricane, the Associated Press reports.

The deadly storm is now barreling towards Jamaica, where it is expected to hit on Wednesday.

However, it is just below the Category 5 threshold of 157mph.

The storm will still bring life-threatening conditions to Hispaniola overnight and Jamaica on Wednesday, the NWS said.