Hurricane Beryl hits Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

Hurricane Beryl has hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after wreaking havoc in the Caribbean, killing at least 10 people.

The Category 2 hurricane made landfall early Friday, packing winds of up to 175 kilometers per hour (108 mph).

It was later downgraded to a tropical storm, but is expected to strengthen again over the Gulf and Mexico over the weekend.

Storm Beryl dumped heavy rain on the popular tourist areas of Cancun and Tulum. There were no reports of major damage, but strong winds caused trees to fall and power outages.

Civil Protection chief Laura Velasquez said electricity would be fully restored to areas still without it by Sunday.

Tulum resident Carolina Vasquez was among those affected by the power outage, speaking to Reuters news agency as she stood in line outside a soup kitchen organized by the Mexican military on Friday.

“In my little house a tree fell, half the house cracked, and the roof tiles fell,” she said.

“We are evaluating, but so far everything seems to be fine with the protection that has been put in place, the preparations, etc,” said Fernando Trevino, an employee of a local company.

Before Hurricane Beryl arrived, schools were closed, hotel windows were boarded up, and emergency shelters were set up in the areas hardest hit by the hurricane.

More than 8,000 soldiers from the Army, Air Force and National Guard have been deployed to the Yucatan Peninsula to provide support.

Hundreds of tourists were evacuated from hotels, and more than 3,000 people fled Holbox Island off the coast, according to local authorities.

More than 300 flights have been cancelled or delayed.

Many homes and businesses in the Cayman Islands were severely damaged on Thursday, especially along the coast, where entire neighborhoods were submerged.

Hurricanes occur frequently near the peninsula, with the official storm season running from June to late November.

The storm is expected to pass over the Gulf of Mexico, heading toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas by the end of the week.

The storm is expected to regain strength and become a hurricane when it makes landfall again Sunday evening.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott urged residents near the state’s Gulf Coast to “have an emergency plan to take care of themselves and their loved ones.”

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned that the North Atlantic region could see up to seven major hurricanes this year, compared to an average of three per season.