Hurricane Beryl hit the Mexican tourist destination on Thursday night after passing through the Cayman Islands and wreaking havoc in Jamaica, where strong winds destroyed buildings and uprooted trees.
Currently a Category 2 hurricane, Beryl has caused significant damage to several smaller islands in the Caribbean over the past few days. Authorities reported at least 11 deaths in Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and northern Venezuela.
It is expected that the death toll could rise once the strong winds and floodwaters recede and communications are restored on the affected islands.
Having crossed the Cayman Islands, the hurricane is projected to strike the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula near the beach resort of Tulum on Thursday night or Friday morning.
On Thursday, at least 100 flights were canceled at the Cancun International Airport in Mexico as tourists rushed to board the last flights out.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the United States stated that this unusually strong early hurricane is located about 180 miles (290 kilometers) east of Tulum.
The NHC reported that Beryl’s maximum sustained winds have decreased to 110 miles per hour (177 kilometers per hour). It is forecasted to bring 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rainfall to the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday night into Friday, with localized amounts up to 10 inches.
The storm is expected to rapidly weaken as it crosses the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday morning, but its intensity may increase as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico.
The NHC predicts that the storm will move towards northeastern Mexico and southern Texas during the weekend.
Cancun and Tulum, Mexico’s top tourist destinations, are both in Beryl’s projected path.
Approximately 3,000 tourists on Isla Mujeres, northeast of the Yucatan Peninsula, have been evacuated and returned to inland areas near Cancun.
Schools in Quintana Roo state, Mexico, were already closed on Thursday and Friday. The Mexican Defense Department has opened about 120 storm shelters in the region to prepare for the expected flooding.
On Wednesday, government workers in Cancun rescued over ten thousand sea turtle eggs that were at risk of being washed away by floods.
Most of Mexico’s major oil platforms are located in shallow waters in the southern Gulf of Mexico and are not expected to be shut down or significantly impacted. However, offshore oil projects in the United States could be affected.
Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic summer season, reaching peak intensity earlier this week, making it the earliest Category 5 storm in U.S. history.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts an “unusual” storm season this year, with a significant number of large hurricanes expected. The storm season runs from early June to the end of November.
(This article referenced related reports from Reuters.)