Jamaica hunkers down as deadly Hurricane Beryl nears
Al Jazeera
Jamaica has been scrambling to prepare as Category 4 Hurricane Beryl approaches the island.
People in the capital, Kingston, boarded up windows on Wednesday, fishermen pulled their boats from the water and roadside advertising boards were dismantled as the storm, which has killed at least six people and caused significant damage in the southeast Caribbean, approached.
A hurricane warning was also in effect for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
Beryl was forecast to weaken slightly over the next day or two but to remain at or near major hurricane strength when it passes near or over Jamaica. It was then expected to brush the Cayman Islands on Thursday before heading towards Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center in the United States.
A hurricane watch was also in effect for Haiti’s southern coast. Belize issued a tropical storm watch stretching south from its border with Mexico to Belize City.
