Hurricane Beryl heads for Mexican Gulf after pummeling Jamaica

The Category 3 hurricane felled trees and destroyed homes in Jamaica on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed that at least two citizens died during the storm, according to reporting by CNN. The storm has killed at least nine people in the Caribbean and Central America over the last week. Video footage on Thursday showed debris from damaged homes scattered across beaches, streets flooded, and trees blocking roads.

Beryl set the record for the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic. Despite dropping down to a Category 3 on Thursday, Beryl continued to throw winds up to 115 mph. The storm passed by the Cayman Islands as it headed into the Gulf of Mexico towards the Yucatan Peninsula.

Should Texas and Mexico expect a Category 3 hurricane? The storm will continue to dissipate as it continues into the gulf, according to a graphic from the National Hurricane Center. Central America’s Yucatan Peninsula should expect heavy rainfall beginning Thursday night, with some areas under Hurricane and tropical storm warnings, according to the NHC. Southern Texas and Northeastern Mexico should still expect heavy rain, strong winds, and storm surges. The hurricane center added that life-threatening rip currents could also form across the Gulf Coast through the weekend. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to make emergency plans to stay safe over the weekend. 

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report in The Sift on Beryl’s damage to the Caribbean islands that hit while the storm was still a Category 5.