Hurricane Beryl’s eyewall spares Haiti amid warnings for vigilance and preparedness 

PORT-AU-PRINCE—- Most regions in Haiti’s southwestern peninsula, including the South, South-East and Grand’Anse departments, were placed under hurricane watch all day Wednesday as powerful Hurricane Beryl churned menacingly toward Jamaica following its destructive passage in smaller Caribbean islands. 

However, the first major hurricane of the season has not caused significant damage in Haiti, although the threat of flooding and mudslides remains. As the hurricane moved menacingly toward the Gulf of Mexico, the Haiti Meteorologist Unit (UMH) lifted the orange alert in effect for the southern region. 

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Beryl became the earliest  Category 5 Atlantic Basin hurricane overnight on July 1, after hammering the Winward islands. It was downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane Wednesday and continued its destructive path toward western Caribbean islands after brushing Jamaica, where it lashed with devastating winds and heavy rainfall. 

According to meteorologists at the Weather Channel, Beryl will soon hammer the Cayman Islands and the Yucatan Peninsula before its final chapter in the Gulf of Mexico, likely bringing devastating impacts in eastern Mexico and Texas. As the storm’s core passes, destructive wind gusts, storm surges, and damaging waves will be brought to the Cayman Islands.

As of Wednesday night, according to media reports, the hurricane had left a trail of destruction across several Caribbean islands. It has uprooted trees, ripped off roofs, and destroyed farms. The death toll has reached at least seven, with fatalities reported in Venezuela, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The storm had caused significant damage, including power outages and flooding in these regions.

Precautionary measures and government warnings

Most regions in Haiti’s southwestern peninsula, including the South, South-East and Grand’Anse departments, were under hurricane watch. However, the impact has been relatively mild, with reports of rain bands, moderate wind gusts and waves above normal levels. Government officials have urged vigilance due to the potential for flooding and mudslides.

“There is a possibility of Beryl causing damage in the area, and I ask you to stay informed and follow the civil protection weather bulletins and the authorities’ instructions,” warned Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille in a pre-recorded video message to the people in Creole. 

“Let us play our part in what concerns us to mitigate the damage. We will not risk it; we will be vigilant, and the entire government will be mobilized to help. But the best way to protect ourselves is to stay vigilant and prudent,” Conille added.

By Wednesday afternoon, some infrastructure damage was reported in Jacmel. Journalist Danise Davida confirmed that the tourist wharf and Simon Bolivard Boulevard, also known as Lakou New York (New York Courtyard), had been damaged by high sea waves. 

In  Les Cayes, the capital city of the South department, it rained all night on Tuesday, but the situation was relatively calm by midday on Wednesday, Kolette Bury, a resident, told The Haitian Times.

According to Chrisnette Saint-Georges from the Haiti Meteorological Unit (UHM), Hurricane Beryl does not currently represent an imminent danger to Haiti. However, she has urged people to be vigilant and prepared.

Haiti is still facing the threats of heavy rain, strong winds with risks of landslides, strong wind swells, and coastal flooding that the system could cause before its possible final chapter in the Gulf of Mexico, which will likely include impacts in eastern Mexico and Texas.

As a precaution, the UHM, in conjunction with the General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC) and the Haitian Maritime and Navigation Service (SEMANAH), issued a ban on all cabotage operations, particularly along the southern coastline. Small boats were formally asked to refrain from sailing within the coastal perimeter until the evening and avoid offshore adventures.

People living in hurricane watch areas were encouraged to seek safe shelter as the threat from Beryl’s eyewall intensified from moderate to strong. The UHM, in concert with the DGPC and the Permanent Secretariat for Risk and Disaster Management, asked residents in the southern departments to be vigilant. The Civil Protection Office urged those living in risky areas to make arrangements to move to temporary shelters or to safer houses. 

“Those who live in risky areas must make arrangements to move to a temporary shelter or to another house in areas that are not at risk,” Haiti’s Civil Protection Office exhorted in a press release. 

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