Hurricane alert: When could storm Beryl hit the US?

The US National Weather Service (NWS) reports that Hurricane Beryl is expected to land in Jamaica on Wednesday, 3 July, bringing with it anywhere between 4 to 8 inches of rain. Flash flooding is a real threat, and residents are urged to take the necessary precautions as the storm approaches.

The Lesser Antilles, which are made up of the Leeland and Windward Island chains, are typically sheltered from hurricanes because of their southern position within the Caribbean. Hurricane Beryl not only makes history as the only storm to form in June and hit the area, but it is also the earliest Category 5 Hurricane recorded since these weather phenomena began to be tracked more than one hundred years ago. A warmer ocean makes for more powerful storms, and with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasting a more active hurricane season this year, Hurricane Beryl provides a possible glimpse into what might be coming.

Will Hurricane Beryl make landfall in the US?

The US territory of Puerto Rico is already feeling the effects of Hurricane Beryl. High winds and heavy rain are pummeling the island far from the hurricane’s epicenter, providing more evidence of its strength.

But what about the states around the Gulf of Mexico or those along the eastern seaboard? As of Tuesday morning on 2 July, the NWS has been unable to forecast the direction in which the storm will move after hitting Jamaica. The most up-to-date forecasts that project the path of the storm over the next five days show the southernmost point in Texas as the only US state or territory that could be impacted by the storm.

Authorities in Mexico are not in the same position and are preparing for the storm to make landfall within the territory.