Deadly Hurricane Beryl Becomes The Earliest Category 5 Storm On Record, Hours After Striking The Windward Islands
Hurricane Beryl intensified to 160 mph on Monday evening, breaking the record previously held by 2005's Hurricane Emily as the earliest Category 5 storm to develop in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm has continued to gain strength since then.
Only hours after the devastating Hurricane Beryl lashed the Windward Islands with destructive winds and a powerful storm surge as a major Category 4 storm, it intensified even more, reaching Category 5 strength on Monday evening. This milestone marked the earliest recorded Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin.
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According to the National Hurricane Center, Beryl's winds peaked at 160 mph as of their 11 p.m. ET Monday update, placing the storm at the top of the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. This broke the record previously held by Hurricane Emily, which reached Category 5 status on July 16, 2005.
By Tuesday morning, the storm had further intensified to peak wind gusts of 165 mph, 15 mph stronger than when it made landfall on Carriacou Island earlier on Monday.
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The impact of extremely dangerous Hurricane Beryl as a high-end Category 4 storm led to widespread devastation. Trees were uprooted, power outages occurred, and a life-threatening storm surge pushed water inland across the southern Windward Islands. The storm left at least three people dead, with fears that the death toll could rise. Residents endured catastrophic winds, taking shelter in their homes and local shelters, anxiously waiting for the storm to pass.
