VIDEO: Hurricane Beryl, a Category 5 Storm, Plows into Caribbean Sea

Hurricane Beryl, a Category 5 storm, made landfall in the southeast Caribbean and is expected to hit Jamaica on Wednesday.

At least four people were killed when the hurricane smashed into the southeast Caribbean, the Associated Press (AP) reported Tuesday.

“A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane watch for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac,” the outlet said.

The storm’s winds have reached 165 miles an hour, and a meteorologist for WHAS said Tuesday that it is a “quick mover.” He added that the pressure with the storm continues to drop, which means it will gain more energy, stronger wind, and heavier rain. He also noted the storm is expected to hit Mexico late on Friday:

In a social media post early Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said the storm is expected to hit Jamaica on Wednesday with “life-threatening winds and storm surge”:

Hurricane #Beryl Advisory 16: Beryl Continues Moving Quickly West-Northwestward Across The Central Caribbean Sea. Expected to Bring Life-Threatening Winds and Storm Surge To Jamaica On Wednesday. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 2, 2024

Jamaican officials are warning residents in areas that are prone to flooding to be ready to evacuate for their own safety.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said, “I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat. It is, however, not a time to panic.”

Rescue crews in the southeast Caribbean worked to determine how much damage it caused when it hit Carriacou, the AP article said. Carriacou is an island that belongs to Grenada.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) video footage shows officials flying into the eye of the storm on Monday:

Hurricane Beryl is the second in this year’s Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Alberto hit northeast Mexico and took the lives of four individuals, the AP reported.

Aerial video footage shared on Tuesday shows the devastation left behind on Carriacou, with buildings destroyed and debris left scattered all over the area:

Drone video captured by storm chaser @bclemms shows scenes of devastation on the island of Carriacou after Hurricane Beryl slammed into the coast as a Category 4 storm. pic.twitter.com/c2VMJh2o5i

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) July 2, 2024

The NOAA defines a hurricane as “a type of storm called a tropical cyclone, which forms over tropical or subtropical waters.”