BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Hurricane Beryl intensified to a Category 4 storm on Monday as it ripped through the Windward Islands, putting island communities at risk with dangerous storm surge, high winds, and flash floods.
The islands of Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago faced the brunt of Beryl’s wrath early Monday, with St. Vincent, the Grenadines, and Grenada at the highest risk of feeling the core impacts of the storm. While a direct landfall may not occur, the islands closest to Beryl are expected to experience significant devastation.
Hurricane Beryl has been identified as the strongest storm to hit the Windward Islands since Hurricane Ivan in 2004, marking an unusually early and potentially devastating start to the Atlantic hurricane season. The storm’s rapid intensification into a Category 4 in June, fueled by warm ocean waters, underscores the abnormality of this year’s hurricane season.
Despite briefly weakening to a Category 3 storm on Monday, Beryl underwent an eyewall replacement cycle to become even stronger. Residents in the affected islands rushed to complete emergency preparations as officials warned of catastrophic impacts such as property damage, power outages, and threats to residents’ safety.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines urged residents to take precautionary measures, emphasizing the need to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Reports from Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados indicated sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts nearing 70 mph on Monday morning.
Beryl’s dangerous nature triggered a state of emergency on Grenada and prompted the closure of several airports across the region. As the storm threatens the Caribbean, concerns arise about the safety of hundreds of cricket fans stranded in Barbados for the T20 World Cup.
The early formation and rapid intensification of Hurricane Beryl point to a hyperactive hurricane season as forecasted by experts. Factors such as above-normal sea temperatures and conducive environmental conditions suggest a challenging season ahead with the potential for increased storm activity in the Atlantic basin.
The National Weather Service predicts an above-average Atlantic hurricane season with 17 to 25 named storms expected, indicating the need for heightened preparedness in the face of potential natural disasters.