Hurricane Beryl has been wreaking havoc through the Caribbeans this week. The first serious storm of the season, it is the first time a hurricane reaches the highest intensity already in the month of July.
1. Unprecedented intensity
The season for severe storms and hurricanes usually takes place between June and November, however, the peak normally occurs during the months of August, September and October. Beryl, taken down from the highest possible Category 5 to Category 4, still meaning “catastrophic damage” is expected with severe damage to houses, unrooted trees, possible floods and power outages that could last weeks and potentially months, is the first hurricane of such intensity occurring so early in the season.
With winds of up to 215 km/h, Beryl first hit Carriacou, in Grenada, then moved on to Jamaica on Wednesday evening, passed over the Cayman Islands on Thursday and, at the time of writing is approaching Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Although its intensity has decreased and is now considered a Category 3, following its current path it could still cause “devastating damage” on the east Texas coast in the following days.
Jamaica seems to be the worst hit, with 7 casualties reported so far and 400,000 people left without electricity. A curfew was in place Wednesday night, with flash flood warnings. Meanwhile, on the nearby smaller islands of Mayreau and Union Island, in the Lesser Antilles, 95% of the homes have been damaged by the hurricane, according to local reports. In Carriacou and Grenada, 3 deaths have also been reported and an additional one following a tree falling onto a house. One death has been reported in St Vincent and the Grenadines and 3 in northern Venezuela, where another 4 people remain missing.
2. Travel
Airports throughout the region remain closed, with flights cancelled. Tourists have been allowed to remain at their hotels past check-out date to take shelter while most airlines, including American Airlines, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic, are allowing passengers to reschedule their flights to a later date.
“As a result of the adverse weather conditions caused by Hurricane Beryl, we’re working closely with our local teams in the Caribbean to understand any impact to local airports infrastructure and minimise disruption to our services”, Virgin said in a statement. “We recommend that all customers due to travel to or from the Caribbean over the next 48 hours check the status of their flight before going to the airport.”
However, as the hurricane is leaving the area, no official “do not travel” warning has been issued. The UK’s Foreign Office only says to “avoid travel” to Jamaica the Yucatán Peninsula and “follow and monitor local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Center and follow the advice of local authorities including any evacuation orders.”
Barbados, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago have also been issued with travel warnings. St Vincent and Barbados airports remain closed, with the latter not yet offering a date for reopening.
While, at the moment, changing a planned travel date or receiving a refund for cancellation is possible, since flights are not possible, as soon as the airports reopen and flights can be operated, travellers who might wish to cancel or postpone their trip to not arrive at a devastated destination might not be able to receive a refund.
