Hurricane "Beryl" reaches tourist region in Mexico on the Yucatán Peninsula
Please stay at home, requested the Governor of the state of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, in a video to people. In Tulum, the hotels directly on the beaches had been evacuated preventively. Many tourists tried to leave the danger zone with buses. "We are going to Cancun," said the British woman Lili. "We want to be as close as possible to the airport."
At Cancun airport, the second largest airport in Mexico, around 100 flights were cancelled. Tulum airport had already stopped operations on Thursday.
Other tourists enjoyed a sunny day at the beach on Thursday. "Our flight was cancelled and we had to pay for two additional nights at the hotel," reported the Mexican woman Virginia Rebollar. "We are a bit anxious, but we are sure that the people here are prepared and know what to do."
Mexico's army reportedly sent around 8000 soldiers to Tulum. They are supposed to distribute food and 34,000 liters of water in case of an emergency. In Cancun, many people had already emptied the supermarkets in the past few days. Hotels boarded up their windows. Schools were closed and emergency shelters were set up in the entire region.
"Beryl" reached Mexico as a Hurricane 2 on the five-point Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, according to NHC reports. It was expected to weaken further over Yucatan and then move over the Gulf of Mexico and the northeastern Mexican mainland towards the US state of Texas.
The storm was predicted to reach the southwestern Gulf of Mexico around Friday evening (local time) and possibly gain strength again over the sea, according to the NHC. By the end of the week, it was expected to move towards northeastern Mexico and southern Texas. Preparations were already underway in the adjacent Mexican state of Tamaulipas, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced.
"Beryl" caused severe damage in several Caribbean countries and on the Venezuelan coast as a Hurricane 4 and 5, according to the Red Cross. At least seven people have died in Grenada, Venezuela, and the island state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines since Monday.
In some Caribbean countries where "Beryl" wreaked havoc as a Hurricane 4 and 5, the damages reported by the Red Cross were greater than anticipated: In Grenada, the islands of Cariacou and Petite Martinique were reportedly completely destroyed, according to Red Cross disaster response worker Rhea Pierre, who is stationed in Trinidad and Tobago for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, on Friday in a video call. On Cariacou, people had "lost everything".
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 90% of the houses on the island of Union Island were reportedly destroyed, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. Pierre reported that people coming from Union Island to the main island had "nothing left but the clothes they were wearing".
"Beryl" was the first hurricane since record keeping began in June to reach Hurricane 4 strength at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Additionally, no storm had ever reached the highest hurricane category 5 so early in the year.
Decisive for the formation of hurricanes is the sea surface temperature. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the water temperature in the North Atlantic is between one and three degrees Celsius warmer than normal. NOAA expects an "exceptional" hurricane season in this year with up to seven storms of category 3 or higher.
- Despite the Governor's request for people to stay home in Tulum, many tourists were attempting to leave the potential danger zone towards Cancun's airport.
- The hotels along the beaches in Tulum had been evacuated preventively as a precaution against the approaching hurricane.
- The British woman Lili and her group were trying to get as close as possible to the airport in Cancun, hoping their flight would not be cancelled.
- The second largest airport in Mexico, Cancun, had over 100 flight cancellations due to the approaching hurricane.
- The Caribbean region, including Tulum and Cancun, was bracing for the impact of Hurricane "Beryl" which was expected to move towards the US state of Texas.
- In Venezuela, Hurricane "Beryl" had previously caused severe damage as a Hurricane 4 and 5, according to Red Cross reports.
- In the Caribbean island state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 90% of the houses on Union Island were reportedly destroyed due to the hurricane.
- Rhea Pierre, a Red Cross disaster response worker, reported in a video call that the islands of Cariacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada had been completely destroyed due to Hurricane "Beryl".
