Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl (/ˈbɛrɪl/, BEHR-ril) was an extremely rare and destructive tropical cyclone that impacted parts of the Caribbean, the Yucatán Peninsula, and the Gulf Coast of the United States in late June and early July 2024. The second named storm, first hurricane, first major hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale of the extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, the system broke many meteorological records, primarily for formation and intensity. Beryl was one of only two Atlantic hurricanes to reach Category 5 hurricane status in July, along with Emily in 2005. Beryl was both the earliest-forming Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean, and the strongest hurricane to develop within the Main Development Region of the Atlantic before the month of July.

Beryl developed from a tropical wave that left the coast of Africa on June 25. After forming on June 28 in the Main Development Region, it began rapidly intensifying as it moved west through the central tropical Atlantic. On July 1, Beryl made landfall on the island of Carriacou, Grenada, as a Category 4 hurricane, causing significant damage. The hurricane intensified further as it entered the Caribbean Sea, peaking as a Category 5 hurricane early the next morning with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 932 mbar (27.52 inHg). Over the next few days, Beryl slowly weakened due to wind shear as it passed south of Jamaica and then the Cayman Islands. It briefly re-intensified into a Category 3 hurricane before weakening again as it made landfall in Tulum, Quintana Roo, as a high-end Category 1 hurricane on July 5. After weakening into a tropical storm over the Yucatán Peninsula, the system moved into the Gulf of Mexico, where it gradually reorganized into a Category 1 hurricane on July 8, just before making its final landfall near Matagorda, Texas. Beryl slowly weakened over land as it accelerated to the northeast, eventually becoming post-tropical over the state of Arkansas on July 9 and dissipating over Ontario on July 11.

Damage and casualties from the hurricane were widespread. Beryl caused catastrophic impacts on Grenada's northern islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, damaging or destroying 99% of buildings on the former and 70% on the latter. Several of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' southern islands, such as Canouan, Mayreau, and Union Island, had 80%-90% of dwellings damaged to some degree. On Barbados, Beryl damaged more than 200 boats and about 40 homes. In the Venezuelan state of Sucre, the Manzanares River overflowed, Flooding more than 6,000 homes. Landslides and rough seas destroyed some structures in the Dominican Republic, while the hurricane damaged crops, dwellings, and infrastructure on Jamaica. Sustained damage was also recorded in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula as well, although it was generally limited to downed trees and power lines and damaged roofs; there was also widespread flooding. In the United States, the state of Texas experienced severe flooding and wind damage, while about 2.7 million people lost electricity. Additionally, the hurricane and its remnants produced a prolific tornado outbreak, with 68 tornadoes confirmed in the United States and 2 in Ontario. Overall, Beryl caused 73 deaths, including 48 in the United States, 8 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 6 each in Grenada and Venezuela, 4 in Jamaica, and 1 in Canada. Additionally, Beryl inflicted at least $9.05 billion in damage, with $7.2 billion in the United States, $995 million in Jamaica, $231 million in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, $218 million in Grenada, $96.5 million in Barbados, $90 million in Mexico, $2.1 million in the Cayman Islands, and $2 million in Saint Lucia. Consequently, due to extensive damage and casualties, the name Beryl was retired following the season, and replaced by Brianna starting from the 2030 season.