Jamaica Braces for Impact as Hurricane Beryl Strikes with Force | US News
On a waterlogged road in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital city, a mural on the wall depicts rain clouds containing three words: “Grace”, “Mercy”, and “Forgiveness”.
Over the past few days, Hurricane Beryl has shown little mercy, leaving entire islands in ruins and claiming several lives.
Jamaicans watched in horror as the devastating winds and storm surge wreaked havoc in the eastern Caribbean, expecting the worst.
The worst affected areas were along the island’s southern coast
In the end, Hurricane Beryl delivered a glancing blow rather than a direct hit, but those who experienced this hurricane won’t soon forget it.
“I was scared,” says Peter Williams, a fisherman. “We all were. It was terrible, there were buildings tearing down. I’ve seen storms like this in September, but never in July.”
Fisherman Peter Williams
Hurricane Beryl is the most powerful storm ever to make landfall this early in the season. It intensified at a rapid pace, transforming from a tropical depression to a category five hurricane in just three days.
“The wind was wicked,” says Kirk White, from Spanish Town. “Really wicked. I saw roofs being torn off houses and trees being tossed into the road. I’m worried because this storm happened so early and grew so rapidly.”
The areas hardest hit were along the island’s southern coast, where a storm surge flooded homes, rendering roads impassable.
‘Grace, mercy and forgiveness’ is a popular mantra on the island
The first confirmed fatality in Jamaica due to the storm was a woman killed in the western parish of Hanover when a tree fell on her house.
In Portmore, a beachside community near the capital city, boats were stranded, roofs torn off, and debris scattered across the streets.
But Angela Wilson was grateful that all her loved ones made it through relatively unharmed.
Clean-up and repair efforts have begun
“We’re all alive. Nobody got hurt and that is the greatest, and for that thanks to the almighty,” she said.
Much of the island was left without power overnight, and gas stations remain closed.
At Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport, part of the main terminal’s roof was peeled off by the swirling wind.
At least three people were killed
Climate scientists attribute the intensification of deadly storms to sea temperatures two or three degrees warmer than usual.
Sheldon Mackinson, a fisherman from Hellshire Beach, sought refuge from the rain in a tin roof building, keeping close to his boat on a concrete floor with a sleeping bag.
He believes climate change is exacerbating the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl.
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Why was Beryl so intense and so early?
“I don’t think it’s nature. I think it’s the bigger guys playing with the globe because we never have a storm in this month. I think there’s some messing up going on with the weather.”
