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Hurricane Beryl Hits: Texas Beware!
Hurricane Beryl isn't expected to hit the States, but experts warn it's still a Category 3 threat.
Published July 1, 2024 at 7:33am by Brandi D. Addison
Hurricane Beryl Slams into Caribbean as a Category 4
Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Grenada's Carriacou Island Monday morning, packing 150 mph winds. The storm is expected to remain a major threat as it moves through the Caribbean, with forecaster Eric Blake of the National Weather Service warning of "potentially catastrophic wind damage."
"[P]otentially catastrophic wind damage is expected where the core of Beryl moves through portions of the Windward Islands." — National Weather Service forecaster Eric Blake
The system strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in just days, fueled by record-warm ocean temperatures and a large plume of Saharan dust, which provided moisture and fuel for intensification.
Beryl is expected to weaken slightly as it moves through the central Caribbean but will remain a hurricane when it makes landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The U.S. is not expected to be significantly impacted, but forecasters warn that a shift in the storm's track could bring it further north toward the Gulf Coast.
This season's first hurricane, Beryl, comes just two weeks after Tropical Storm Alberto. Beryl is the earliest-recorded storm to reach Category 4 status east of the Lesser Antilles in June.
Read more: 'Potentially catastrophic' Hurricane Beryl made landfall. Will it impact Texas?