Strong gusts of wind, torrential rain and large waves hit Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea on Wednesday. – It is terrible. Everything is gone, says 51-year-old Amoy Wellington, who lives in the south of Jamaica, to the Reuters news agency. He describes the hurricane’s ravages as “a disaster”. One woman lost her life in Jamaica when a tree fell on her house. On Thursday morning Norwegian time, “Beryl” is about to move on from Jamaica, according to the US hurricane centre. The hurricane is now heading towards southern Mexico. A total of ten people have now been confirmed dead as a result of “Beryl”, according to Reuters. The number is expected to rise when the extent of the damage becomes known and the communication systems begin to function again. A man walks through flooded streets in Kingston, Jamaica on Wednesday. Photo: Marco Bello / Reuters – Everything is destroyed The unusually powerful hurricane “Beryl” hit the first Caribbean islands on Monday. It was then a category 5 hurricane, the strongest category. Now it is halfway to Mexico and downgraded to a category 4. The island of Carriacou was particularly hard hit. The Grenadian island of 6,000 inhabitants is located in the eastern Caribbean Sea and was among the first to be hit with the full force of “Beryl”. Your browser does not support the embedding of external content The authorities say that the island is completely damaged. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described “Armageddon”-like conditions. Norwegian Emil is on a sailing trip in the Caribbean. He witnessed “Beryl’s” ravages at Carriacou. – I don’t even know where to start. Everything is broken. Everything, he says, to news. Norwegian Emil witnessed great destruction when “Beryl” smashed through the island of Carriacou in Grenada. Although he is affected, he is most concerned that attention must be paid to the hurricane’s enormous consequences and the local population. From calm to full hurricane in two minutes The infrastructure at Carriacou is in ruins, according to Emil. People don’t have electricity or internet. – There is no communication. No information from the authorities. People don’t know if their families are alive. It will take a long time before they get the island rebuilt, he says. Emil says that most of the houses have had their roofs ripped off. – Many have been razed to the ground. I have spoken to many who are now homeless. Hospitals and schools have been smashed. The police station is destroyed, says Emil. He says the hurricane hit in two rounds. – The tin roof of the guest house flew off, and you heard things flying into the building. It was raining heavily inside the guest house I stayed at. Many had to move to another emergency shelter. Eventually it calmed down, before the hurricane struck again. This time even harder. – It went from calm winds to full hurricane in two minutes, says Emil. – Happy to be alive He says that the residents he has spoken to are worried about how the hurricane season will continue. – Carriacou is completely destroyed. I have driven around and heard stories from many people who have been to the island, says Emil. In the midst of all the misery, there is still one thing that has surprised him: – Everyone I have spoken to has been very positive. They are just happy to be alive. Everyone is very helpful to each other. “Beryl” struck in record time. Never before has a Category 5 hurricane been documented so early in the year. Such storms are more common in August and September. Researchers link this to the fact that the surface temperature in the Atlantic Ocean is unusually warm for this time of year as a result of climate change. They predict more and more powerful storms and hurricanes in the future. – People cannot afford that. Almost all the houses are completely destroyed. People have nowhere to go, says Emil. Interested in abroad? Listen to the foreign affairs editor’s podcast here: Published 03.07.2024, at 21.48 Updated 04.07.2024, at 07.01
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The storm “Beryl” causes great destruction – struck Jamaica – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
