Hurricane Beryl strikes Jamaica with widespread destruction
Grenada's Prime Minister has described the hurricane as "Armageddon-like" due to the devastation it has caused across the Caribbean, with several fatalities reported.
The nation of Jamaica faced the full force of Hurricane Beryl on Wednesday, a 'Category 4' storm. It has claimed at least seven lives, demolished numerous homes, and ruined crops on smaller islands as it moved through the eastern Caribbean.
Residents endured hours of wind-driven rain, following the authorities' advice to seek shelter until the storm subsided.
In Kingston, power disruptions were widespread as Beryl's eyewall, the area of most intense winds and rain, grazed the south coast of Jamaica. The capital experienced significant power outages.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness reported that close to 500 individuals were sheltered by Wednesday afternoon. By evening, he remarked that the island had not yet experienced the full potential impact of the storm.
Jamaica's interior roads were obstructed by downed trees and utility poles, and parts of the northern region were without power, according to government reports.
Prime Minister Holness stated, "We have done as much as humanly possible, and now we leave the rest to God."
The hurricane also disrupted power grids and caused flash flooding in the Cayman Islands, with expectations of intensifying further by Wednesday night into Thursday, as per the US National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane warnings were issued due to the swift-moving hurricane that toppled power lines and triggered flash floods on smaller islands.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, already besieged by gang violence and a humanitarian crisis, experienced strong winds on Tuesday afternoon.
The newly appointed Haitian Prime Minister is Garry Conil.