On Tuesday, Beryl was classified as a Category 5 hurricane with record-breaking 165 mph winds by the National Hurricane Center, making it the strongest July hurricane on record.
Beryl has continued to weaken as it moves west across the Caribbean Sea towards the Gulf of Mexico, with sustained wind speeds of near 145 mph as of 5 a.m. ET., when it was 250 miles away from Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, moving at about 22 mph.
Wind speeds could lessen more by the time the storm reaches Jamaica. But authorities in Jamaica are clear that this is a major weather event that should not be taken lightly, with storm surges set to raise water levels six to nine feet above normal.
“Devastating hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surge and damaging waves are expected in portions of Jamaica beginning this afternoon and in the Cayman Islands early on Thursday,” the National Hurricane Center said early Wednesday. Even if Beryl does not make landfall on Jamaica, it could still cause devastation around 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET when winds are expected to be the strongest.
“If you live in a low lying area, an area that is historically prone to flooding and landslide, or if you live on the banks of a river … I implore you to evacuate to a shelter or to safer ground,” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a video statement Tuesday.