Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed concern over the impact of Hurricane Beryl on transportation, particularly flights, amid a potentially active hurricane season. The hurricane, which is currently causing significant destruction, is expected to affect travel to the Caribbean.
What Happened: Buttigieg posted on X, formerly Twitter, as Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the Caribbean.
Hurricane Beryl is proving to be a highly destructive storm at the outset of what's expected to be a very active hurricane season.00We're keeping an eye on Beryl's impact to transportation, including flights. Plan ahead if you have travel to the Caribbean coming up.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 2, 2024
Beryl, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph, is located 575 miles east-southeast of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic, moving west-northwest at 21 mph, reported CNN.
The National Hurricane Center warns of life-threatening storm surge, flooding, and swells affecting the Windward and Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola.
Jamaica is under a hurricane warning, while the Dominican Republic and Haiti have tropical storm warnings. Over 400 people in Barbados are evacuated to shelters, and a state of emergency is declared in Grenada, closing all businesses except essential services.
Airports in Barbados, Grenada, and Saint Lucia are shut down. Beryl disrupted the T20 Cricket World Cup, leaving fans stranded in Barbados. The hurricane is expected to remain strong while tracking across the Caribbean, with a potential landfall in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula by Friday, posing further threats to the region.
Why It Matters: The hurricane's impact on the travel industry is evident, with shares of major cruise lines, including Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL), Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH), experiencing a decline as a result of the storm.
Buttigieg's statement aligns with the concerns raised by industry experts about the potential impact of the hurricane on the travel sector, particularly in the Caribbean.
Photo Courtesy: Rich Koele On Shutterstock.com
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal