Hurricane Beryl Makes Landfall in Mexico, Causing Devastation in Yucatan Peninsula

Hurricane Beryl, after wreaking havoc and claiming at least 11 lives across the Caribbean region, made landfall near the Mexican resort town of Tulum, on the Yucatan Peninsula, early Friday morning. The storm, now a Category 2 hurricane, pounded the area with strong winds and power outages, following its destructive path that has left a trail of destruction in its wake.

Beryl is expected to quickly weaken into a tropical storm as it traverses the peninsula before reemerging in the Gulf of Mexico and potentially regaining hurricane strength, as reported by the National Hurricane Center in the United States. As it enters the warm waters of the Gulf, Beryl is projected to move north towards Mexico, near the Texas border, an area previously soaked by Tropical Storm Alberto just a few weeks ago.

In recent days, Beryl has left a path of destruction in Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados. On Tuesday, it became the earliest Category 5 hurricane to develop in the Atlantic. Officials have reported three casualties in Grenada, three in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela, and two in Jamaica.

Beryl made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Grenada, completely devastating the islands of Cariacou and Petite Martinique, according to Rhea Pierre, head of disaster response at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The state of emergency remains in these islands, where the official count of sheltered individuals is still unknown, and communication channels are severely limited, Pierre added.

Following its landfall in Mexico on Friday, Beryl’s maximum wind speeds decreased to 160 kilometers per hour, but Tulum will continue to experience significant and destructive waves, as per the hurricane center. The Mexican National Water Commission forecasts heavy rainfall and potential flooding in the region in the hours ahead.

Prior to the hurricane’s arrival, Mexican authorities evacuated some tourists and residents from low-lying areas of the Yucatan Peninsula, but tens of thousands of people chose to ride out the storm, facing the expected high winds and storm surges. Much of the area around Tulum sits just meters above sea level.

Tulum was plunged into darkness as the storm knocked out power upon making landfall. Howling winds set off car alarms throughout the town. Wind and rain continued to batter the seaside town and its surroundings on Friday morning.

No deaths or injuries had been reported by Friday morning, but 40% of Tulum’s electricity remained out, said Laura Velázquez, national coordinator of Mexican civil protection. ‘Do not go outside right away, wait for the hurricane to completely pass,’ Velázquez requested in a morning video press conference.

Once a quiet and sleepy village, Tulum has seen rapid development in recent years and is now home to approximately 50,000 permanent residents and an equal number of daily tourists. The resort town now boasts its own international airport.

The storm’s center was located approximately 25 kilometers north-northwest of Tulum on Friday and was moving west-northwest at about 24 kilometers per hour, according to the hurricane center. As the storm approached, authorities set up shelters in schools and hotels. When the wind began gusting on Tulum’s beaches on Thursday, officials in four-wheel vehicles equipped with megaphones drove along the sand urging people to leave, and beachfront hotels were closed and evacuated. Even sea turtle eggs were removed from beaches threatened by the storm surge.

Earlier this week, the hurricane damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on two islands in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It also rocked fishing boats in Barbados, tore off roofs, and caused power outages in Jamaica.

The island of Union, part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, is littered with debris from homes that appeared to have been obliterated.