Hurricane Beryl intensified into a category 5 storm late Monday after sweeping across several southeastern Caribbean islands, dumping heavy rain and unleashing devastating winds.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported, “Beryl is now the earliest category 5 storm in the Atlantic on record, and has developed into a potentially catastrophic hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 miles (260 kilometres) per hour”.
“Early in the day, Grenada’s Carriacou Island took a direct hit from the storm’s extremely dangerous eyewall, with sustained winds at upwards of 150 miles”, the NHC continued.
The NHC went on to say, “Nearby islands, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, also experienced catastrophic winds and life-threatening storm surge”.
At a press conference, Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, stated, “In half an hour, Carriacou was flattened”.
“We are not yet out of the woods”, Mitchell continued, stressing that while no deaths had been recorded so far, he could not be certain that none had occurred.
Later, Mitchell stated on social media that the government was working to deliver relief supplies to Carriacou and the island of Petite Martinique on Tuesday.
On Facebook, Mitchell posted, “The state of emergency is still in effect. Remain indoors.”
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