Hurricane Beryl on Friday made landfall on Mexico’s coast near the resort of Tulum as a Category 2.
The storm whipped trees and knocked out power as it came ashore after leaving a trail of destruction across the eastern Caribbean.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Beryl is expected to rapidly weaken to a tropical storm as it crosses over the Yucatan Peninsula before it reemerges into the Gulf of Mexico and likely regains hurricane strength.
Once in the warm waters of the Gulf, Beryl is forecast to head toward northern Mexico near the Texas border, an area had already been soaked by Tropical Storm Alberto just a couple of weeks ago.
Beryl, the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, spread destruction in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados in recent days.
Shortly after landfall in Mexico, Beryl’s maximum windspeeds had decreased to 100 mph, according to the U.S. Hurricane Center.
Prior to landfall, Mexican officials evacuated some tourists and residents from low-lying areas on the Yucatan peninsula, but tens of thousands stayed to weather the winds and projected storm surge. Much of the terrain surrounding Tulum is only a few yards above sea level.
The city was plunged into darkness when the hurricane knocked out power as it approached shore. Screeching winds triggered automobile alarms throughout the area.
Tulum, once a peaceful, laid-back community, has grown rapidly in recent years, with approximately 50,000 permanent residents and at least that many tourists on any given day. The resort now operates its own international airport.
Early Friday, the storm’s center was about 15 miles north-northwest of Tulum and was moving west-northwest at 15 mph, the hurricane center said.
