Six people killed in Hurricane Beryl as storm heads toward Jamaica

At least six people have been killed by Hurricane Beryl as of Tuesday, as the storm heads toward Jamaica, where it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.

The strong Category 4 hurricane is expected to reach the southern part of the Caribbean island on Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. When it reaches Jamaica, it will mark the first major hurricane to hit the island in three decades, CNN reported.

The storm is also expected to hit the Cayman Islands on Wednesday. The storm is expected to weaken before making landfall, but winds could still be gusting at at least a Category 3 intensity. Category 3 hurricanes have winds up to 129 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. 

“Devastating hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surge, and damaging waves are expected in portions of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands Wednesday and Wednesday night,” the National Hurricane Center warned.

The storm is currently a strong Category 4 hurricane, with winds reaching 155 miles per hour. The current strength is just two miles per hour below Category 5, which is greater than 156 miles per hour. 

The hurricane is not expected to reach mainland United States, but it could reach U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. President Joe Biden said the United States was preparing to help the countries and territories impacted by the storm.

Three people have been reported dead in Grenada and Carriacou, according to the Associated Press, another person was found dead in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the other two were killed in Venezuela. Five others are still missing in Venezuela. 

“The situation is grim,” Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said in a news conference Tuesday. “There is no power, and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are not passable, and in many instances they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets ... The possibility that there may be more fatalities remains a grim reality as movement is still highly restricted."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.