Hurricane Beryl made landfall early Friday as a Category 2 storm on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, near the resort town of Tulum. The storm brought fierce winds, downed trees, and power outages, after causing significant destruction across the Caribbean, resulting in at least 11 deaths.

Rapid Weakening Expected

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicated that Beryl would quickly weaken to a tropical storm as it crosses the peninsula, before re-entering the Gulf of Mexico and potentially regaining hurricane strength. The forecast suggests that once Beryl is back in the warm waters of the Gulf, it will head toward northern Mexico near the Texas border—an area recently affected by Tropical Storm Alberto.

Caribbean Destruction

Before hitting Mexico, Beryl wreaked havoc in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados. This storm is notable for being the earliest to escalate to a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic. Reports confirmed three fatalities each in Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela, and two in Jamaica.

Tulum Hit Hard

Upon landfall, Beryl’s wind speeds decreased, but the NHC warned that Tulum would still experience large, destructive waves. The Mexican National Water Commission forecasted heavy rainfall and potential flooding for the area. Despite evacuations, many tourists and residents chose to stay. The storm plunged Tulum into darkness, setting off car alarms and causing widespread damage.

Local Reactions and Recovery Efforts

Residents like Lucía Nagera Balcaza stocked up on supplies and sheltered in their homes. “Thank god, we woke up this morning and everything was all right,” she said, describing the streets as a disaster. Nearly half of Tulum remained without power, according to Laura Velázquez, Mexico’s national coordinator of Civil Protection.

Tulum’s Rapid Growth

Tulum, once a quiet village, has seen rapid development and now has about 50,000 permanent residents, with a comparable number of tourists daily. The city recently established its own international airport.

Storm’s Progress

By Friday morning, Beryl was 15 miles north-northwest of Tulum, moving west-northwest at 16 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

Preparations in Texas

Corpus Christi, Texas, is preparing for Beryl’s potential northward turn, which could bring coastal flooding, strong winds, and dangerous rip currents. The city distributed 10,000 sandbags in less than two hours on Friday, having already given out 14,000 sandbags earlier in the week.

Pre-Landfall Precautions

Mexican authorities set up shelters in schools and hotels before the storm hit. Officials evacuated beachside hotels and moved sea turtle eggs off the beaches. Tourists, like Lara Marsters from Boise, Idaho, took precautions by filling up water bottles and preparing to stay safe.

Widespread Damage in the Caribbean

Earlier in the week, Beryl caused extensive damage in the Caribbean, including destroying 95% of homes on islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, capsizing fishing boats in Barbados, and tearing off roofs and knocking out power in Jamaica.

Personal Accounts

On Union Island, a man known as Captain Baga described how the storm lifted two 2,000-gallon water tanks he had secured. “If anyone had ever told me wind could do that, I would have told them they lie!” he exclaimed. The island was strewn with debris from homes.

Girlyn Williams and Jeremiah Forde recounted how they ran from room to room as their house was destroyed, eventually finding shelter by a wedged water tank. Williams sustained a leg injury requiring stitches.

Conclusion

As Beryl continues its path, affected regions brace for further impacts while beginning recovery efforts from the devastating storm.