Hurricane Beryl: A Devastating Category 4 Storm Ushers in a Perilous Start to the Atlantic Hurricane Season

Hurricane Beryl thrashes the islands, escalating to a menacing Category 4 in a perilous early start to the season.

Monday morning saw Hurricane Beryl intensify once more, raging through the Windward Islands as a formidable Category 4 storm. The hurricane threatens numerous island communities with deadly storm surges, ferocious winds, and sudden flooding.

Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago bore the brunt of Beryl’s fury early Monday. The storm’s core targets St. Vincent, the Grenadines, and Grenada. Even without a direct landfall, Beryl’s impact will be catastrophic for nearby islands.

Beryl is the most powerful storm to hit the Windward Islands since Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.

The arrival of Beryl signifies an alarmingly early and potentially destructive start to the Atlantic hurricane season. On Sunday, it became the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean and the first of such intensity in June. The exceptionally warm ocean waters, which contributed to Beryl’s rapid intensification, are a stark indication that this hurricane season will deviate significantly from the norm, exacerbated by global warming due to fossil fuel pollution.

Although the storm briefly downgraded to a Category 3 early Monday during an eyewall replacement cycle—a natural process where the strongest hurricanes form a new, larger eyewall—it soon re-emerged stronger than ever.

Island residents were in a frantic rush Sunday night to complete emergency preparations as tropical-storm-force winds began to lash the area. Local officials warned of severe impacts, including extensive home damage, widespread power outages, and significant threats to safety.

“I urge everyone in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to take this situation very seriously,” Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said. “While we hope for the best, we must all prepare for the worst.”

Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados reported sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph, with gusts nearing 70 mph Monday morning.

Key updates on Beryl:

• Beryl’s Status: Positioned about 70 miles east of Grenada, the storm has sustained winds of 130 mph and is moving west at 20 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend 35 miles from its center, while tropical-storm-force winds reach 125 miles.
• Severe Storm Surge and Flooding: The National Hurricane Center warned of storm surges raising water levels by 6 to 9 feet above normal tides near Beryl’s landfall. Massive waves may cause dangerous surf, rip currents, and pose significant threats to small vessels and fishermen. Expected rainfall of 3 to 6 inches, with up to 10 inches in some areas, could trigger flash floods, particularly in the Grenadines and Grenada. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley urged residents to stay vigilant.
• Hurricane Warnings: Issued for St. Lucia, Martinique, and Trinidad, with tropical storm watches for the south coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
• Evacuations: Over 400 people sought refuge in hurricane shelters across Barbados by Sunday night, according to Chief Shelter Warden Ramona Archer-Bradshaw. “It’s best to use the shelters if you feel unsafe at home,” she advised.
• State of Emergency in Grenada: Declared by Governor General Cecile La Grenade, effective from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. Only essential services remain operational.
• Airport Closures: Airports in Barbados, Grenada, and Saint Lucia closed Sunday night. Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport is expected to reopen Tuesday morning, while Barbados and Saint Lucia’s airports also halted operations.
• Cricket World Cup Fans: Barbados continues to host international cricket fans for the T20 World Cup. Some fans cannot evacuate before Beryl’s arrival. Prime Minister Mottley urged residents to assist visitors unfamiliar with hurricanes.

Beryl marks a worrying start to a hurricane season predicted to be extremely active. Alongside Beryl, Tropical Storm Chris made landfall near Tuxpan, Mexico, early Monday.

Beryl’s rapid development is highly unusual this early in the season, noted National Hurricane Center Director Mike Brennan. Few tropical systems form in the central Atlantic in June, especially strong ones. Beryl now holds records for the earliest and easternmost major hurricane in the Atlantic.

Forecasters expect an above-average hurricane season with 17 to 25 named storms, up to 13 of which could become hurricanes.

“That’s significantly above average,” Brennan stated.

CNN contributors Monica Garrett, Gene Norman, Michael Rios, Marlon Sorto, Sandi Sidhu, Melissa Alonso, Isaac Yee, Eric Zerkel, Mary Gilbert, and Brandon Miller contributed to this report.