On Wednesday, Hurricane Beryl, an intense Category 4 hurricane, swept through Jamaica with strong winds and heavy rains. It had caused considerable damages before that and killed at least seven people in the southeastern Caribbean.
Beryl’s eyewall was said to be “brushing the south coast of Jamaica,” according to the US National Hurricane Center. The island experienced torrential rain driven by wind for hours while its inhabitants obeyed government directives to seek refuge till the storm was over. Most parts of Kingston lost power supply at a certain time.
According to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, by afternoon on Wednesday nearly 500 persons had already been moved into shelters. He admitted it was not yet “the worst of what could possibly happen” in Jamaica saying that “We can do as much as we can do, as humanly possible, and we leave the rest in the hands of God.”
The government’s information service also stated that numerous roadways leading to several communities in the interior were impassable due to fallen electrical poles or trees; whereas Northern Jamaica experienced some blackouts.
Before arriving at Kingston, Beryl’s residents protected themselves by boarding up windows; fishermen pulled their boats into dry dock and workers dismantled roadside billboards.
