Hurricane Beryl has become an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm as it continues to approach the Windward Islands, bringing life-threatening winds and damaging storm surges to the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday.
Tropical Storm Beryl strengthened to a Category 4 storm Sunday afternoon and is expected to continue strengthening as it heads west across the Atlantic.
The agency said its center was expected to move across the Windward Islands early Monday, with hurricane-force winds including heavy rains expected Sunday evening.
The Windward Islands include Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Martinique. As of Sunday morning, Beryl was about 355 miles east-southeast of Barbados with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. It is moving west at about 21 mph.
A hurricane warning has been issued for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada and Tobago, where hurricanes are likely to form beginning Monday morning. A tropical storm warning has also been issued for Martinique, and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Dominica and Trinidad, all of which could see tropical storm conditions Sunday night.
“Potentially catastrophic wind damage is expected in areas where the eye of Hurricane Beryl is moving through portions of the Windward Islands, with the highest core risk in St. Vincent, the Grenadines and Grenada,” the Hurricane Center said.
Life-threatening storm surges could raise water levels 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels in hurricane watch areas and bring destructive waves to the coast.
Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches is possible across Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday through Monday, which could cause flooding in some areas. Up to 10 inches of rain is possible in some areas, especially in the Grenadines.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Board announced National lockdown As a result of the tornado warning that will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 PM local time and will not be lifted “until the green light signal is given.”
“During this time, please stay indoors and away from glass windows once strong tropical cyclone winds impact the area,” the tourism board said in a Facebook post. “All persons should avoid entering the ocean. Failure to comply with this request puts human lives at risk, including those of our first responders.”
The Council also encouraged tourists to contact their airlines to schedule repatriation flights.
The Royal Saint Lucia Police has cancelled all police leave in preparation for Hurricane Beryl.
“All officers are requested to report to their nearest police station by 6:00pm today, Sunday 30 June 2024,” the force said in a statement. Facebook.
In Grenada, the state of emergency will go into effect at 7 p.m. Sunday and will last for a week, “unless revoked earlier,” Prime Minister Deacon Mitchell said at a news briefing.
The country’s National Disaster Management Authority has urged the public to secure enough food and water for three days to weather the impact of Cyclone Beryl. People living in areas at risk from storms have also been encouraged to move to one of the open shelters across Grenada.
“This is not a maneuver,” Mitchell warned the audience.
“We need to be calm, we need to pray, but most importantly we need to prepare,” Mitchell said.
All police leave in Grenada has also been cancelled and officers have been asked to return to work, Mitchell said.
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