LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Hurricane Beryl, a powerful Category 5 storm, is bearing down on Jamaica after battering the southeastern Caribbean and leaving a trail of destruction across the region.
The storm has already claimed at least seven lives, with three deaths reported in Grenada and one in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Two additional fatalities occurred in northern Venezuela, where 25,000 people were affected by Beryl’s heavy rains.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Beryl is expected to weaken slightly but remain an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane as it passes near or over Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday.
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Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged residents to prepare immediately, stocking up on food, water, batteries and other supplies. “It’s better to be prepared than to regret not preparing,” he said on social media.
The storm has already devastated parts of the Caribbean. On the island of Carriacou in Grenada, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said homes, telecommunications and fuel facilities have been “flattened,” leaving the island effectively cut off.
“The situation is grim. There is no power and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island,” Mitchell told reporters.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves reported “immense destruction,” including the destruction of up to 90% of homes on Union Island. Similar levels of devastation were expected on nearby islands.
Scientists attribute Beryl’s rapid strengthening to the effects of human-caused climate change, which has been linked to the increased intensity and frequency of hurricanes in the region.