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By Kristen Ku
Belize City, Thursday, July 4, 2024
Around 6:00 this morning, residents of Belize District woke up to heavy rain with lightning and thunderstorms. The rain lasted less than an hour, but surprisingly, flooding had already occurred throughout Belize City.
With a tropical storm watch on hold from Belize City to Corozal, including Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, residents were left to believe it was Hurricane Beryl.
However, Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon said this morning’s rain was not directly caused by Hurricane Beryl. Rather, the heavy rain was caused by moisture being pushed along the front of the hurricane, which is expected to continue throughout the day and intensify as the storm approaches Belize.
“As of 6:00 this morning, Hurricane Beryl is located southwest of the Cayman Islands. From the perspective of Belize, it is approximately 410 miles east of the town of Corozal. Beryl continues to move on a west-northwest track and is currently packing winds of 20 mph,” he explained in a weather update released this morning with NEMO (National Emergency Management Organization). The hurricane was a powerful Category 5 storm but has weakened significantly and is currently classified as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
Beryl is forecast to continue on its current path toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It is expected to make landfall north of the Belize border late tonight or early tomorrow morning, at which time it could weaken further to a Category 1 hurricane.
Despite the weakening winds, Belize will still see moderate to heavy rains with gusts reaching tropical storm strength. The northern part of the country, including San Pedro (Ambergris Caye), is expected to be the worst affected, with continued rain and strong winds over the next 24 to 36 hours.
Forecasters predict at least 4 to 6 inches of rain, which could cause more problems because the soil in Corozal was already saturated by heavy rains last weekend, which caused flooding.
In addition, sea conditions are expected to become rough, with large waves hitting the northern coastal areas. Operators of small boats are advised to find and stay in safe ports to avoid dangerous sea conditions.
Residents of the various island groups have begun to seek shelter or evacuate their islands. As of press time, approximately 4,328 residents have left the islands by boat, and another 1,300 residents have left the islands on special flights arranged for residents who wish to leave the islands.
“We want to stress to people that Hurricane Beryl remains a dangerous system. We have seen the devastation it has caused in our sister Caribbean countries, particularly Grenada, St. Vincent, Barbados and Jamaica. NEMO does not take this lightly. We have maintained our preparedness and alert levels,” said Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator.
Hurricane Beryl severely impacted the Eastern Caribbean islands earlier this week as a Category 4 hurricane. Reports indicate that approximately 95% of homes on Mero and Union Islands were damaged or destroyed.
Unfortunately, the storm has caused approximately nine deaths, including two fatalities in Jamaica (a man and a woman), due to severe weather conditions on Wednesday.
Coastal infrastructure in southern parishes was damaged, as was agriculture and housing in Manchester and St. Elizabeth parishes. Multiple roads were cut, power lines were downed and about 1,000 residents remained in shelters as the country dealt with the aftermath of the storm.
A hurricane warning has been issued for the Cayman Islands and residents are preparing for strong winds, dangerous storm surges and destructive waves.
“I express my solidarity with our Caribbean brothers and sisters in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines who have suffered and are suffering from the fierce Hurricane Beryl,” Belize Prime Minister John Briceño said Wednesday evening. “We understand the challenges they are facing and Belize will do its part to help our sister Caribbean nations in their recovery efforts,” he said.
Hurricane Beryl made history by being the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin and the second Category 5 hurricane recorded in July since 2005. It rapidly strengthened from a tropical depression to a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) in just 42 hours. Hurricane Beryl is also the third Category 3 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic in June, following Hurricanes Audrey in 1957 and Alma in 1966.
As Belize continues to prepare for the potential impacts of Hurricane Beryl, NEMO urges residents to stay informed, heed safety advisories, and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves and their property.
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