Jamaicans brace for Hurricane Beryl as the storm barrels toward the island

JAMAICA — Jamaica is bracing for Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to make landfall Wednesday as a major hurricane.

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So far, at least six people have been killed by the hurricane across the Caribbean.

Jamaican leaders urge residents to prepare by stocking up on last-minute supplies and seeking higher, safer ground.

Three international airports in Jamaica are also expected to close Tuesday night. Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines are altering their ships’ Caribbean routes.

Read: Beryl downgraded to Category 4 hurricane

Meanwhile, Jamaican families living in Central Florida constantly communicate with loved ones and friends.

Lincoln Salman, who currently lives in Oviedo, sent text after text, checking in with friends and family in his home country, encouraging them to prepare now.

One of his friends is Jamaican journalist Patrice Manradge.

“I am praying like everybody else that we do not get hit,” Manradge said. She prepared with a month’s worth of food and water.

Read: Brevard man prepares to fly into storm to help bring clean water to storm victims

Meanwhile, hundreds are boarding up homes, evacuating low-lying areas of the island, and frantically preparing for the days ahead.

“Everybody is running around, last minute, supermarket shopping, getting gas, cash, you know, all those hurricane prep type of things. Don’t even mention the traffic. It’s crazy out there,” Manradge said. “I think yesterday, it really started to sink in for most people that, hey, this is serious, and we are going to be impacted one way or the other.”

Jamaicans brace for Hurricane Beryl as the storm barrels toward the island Jamaica is bracing for Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to make landfall Wednesday as a major hurricane. (WFTV)

Salman says he’s very concerned that the island’s infrastructure will withstand the storm.

“I know that we don’t have to have a direct hit to have devastation,” Salman said.

Salman knows this all too well after living through Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

Read: What makes Beryl a unique storm this hurricane season?

It was a Category 3 storm that made landfall on the island. The storm took the lives of more than 300 people, with 49 deaths in Jamaica alone.

Salman remembers how the storm crippled the island for months.

“It was very bad. We were without power for months. You know, there was issues getting around and shortage with food supplies,” Salman said.

Manradge says Jamaican officials reminded people of how bad the storm was then.

“Imagine damage like that, which left us, let’s say, bear for so long, for weeks, for months. So (officials are) urging people be prepared, if you’re in low lying areas, get out and get out now, because when it’s coming, you know, there’s no way to get out services and so on. They can’t get in to rescue you,” Manradge said.

But Salman says just as the Jamaican people survived that storm-- they will persevere through this one.

“They’re very strong, loyal, passionate people. And, you know, they’ve seen hurricanes before. So there are some people who are not as shaken by it as others. But they’re survivors, and they’ll do what’s necessary to get by,” Salman said.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said the United States is ready to assist in places impacted by Beryl.

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