Hurricane Beryl Devastates Caribbean
Category 4 Hurricane Beryl devastated entire islands as it tore through the Caribbean this week.
With winds up to 160 miles per hour, Beryl ripped rooftops off houses, uprooted trees, and downed power lines. At least 10 people have been killed.
Several islands still face widespread flooding, power outages and pelting rain.
Aftermath: A resident of Union Island, part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, told bbc that “almost the whole island is homeless,” as over 90 percent of the island’s buildings were damaged or destroyed.
There are hardly any buildings left standing. Houses are flattened; roads are blocked; the electricity poles are down in the streets.
—Katrina Coy, Union Island resident
Grenada’s prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, described the destruction as “Armageddon-like,” adding, “There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou.”
On Wednesday, Beryl swept past Jamaica, knocking out around 60 percent of the island’s power.
On Thursday, the hurricane barrelled through the Cayman Islands, dying down to a Category 2 but with wind speeds still around 130 mph.
Still to come: Beryl is now headed toward Mexico and the southernmost edge of the United States, climbing back to a Category 3.
Record breaking: Beryl is the first-ever Category 4 hurricane to be recorded in the month of June. After climbing in intensity on Monday, it became the first-ever Category 5 hurricane in the month of July, but it quickly decreased back to a Category 4.
Typically, hurricanes of this strength are not seen until much later in the hurricane season.
Climate change? Many scientists and climate activists are saying this is evidence of the effects of climate change. However, as our booklet Why ‘Natural’ Disasters? explains, there is a greater cause for weather crises than climate change. To understand, request a free copy.
