When will Hurricane Beryl slam Jamaica? What to know about the powerful Cat 4 storm

Hurricane Beryl has Jamaica on high alert, with government offices closing early and visitors rushing to fly home. So, when will the powerful Category 4 storm strike the Caribbean nation?

The National Hurricane Center is anticipating that the storm will hit Jamaica by 2 p.m. Wednesday. Winds up to 140 mph, life-threatening storm surge, totaling 5 to 8 feet, and a foot of rain could impact Jamaica.

Tropical storm-force winds, however, could start as early as 8 a.m.

With a trail of destruction and at least four deaths in its wake, Beryl was shaping up as the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since Ivan 20 years ago. That Category 5 storm passed just to the south, killing 17 people, leaving nearly 20,000 homeless and causing hundreds of millions in damage.

READ MORE: ‘An impending disaster.’ As Beryl barrels toward Jamaica, South Florida prepares to help

Beryl, though potentially weakening, has the government urging residents to take no chances.

See Beryl’s path

READ MORE: Jamaica braces for Hurricane Beryl, slightly weaker but still a dangerous Cat 4

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