A red flag is seen at a tourist beach ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Beryl, in Cancun, Mexico July 4, 2024. - REUTERSpix
The “red alert“ called by Mexico's civil protection agency signifies a threat of maximum hazard from Beryl. It told people to stay in their homes or at storm shelters. Authorities say at least 11 people have died from the storm across Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in northern Venezuela.
Tourists scrambled to catch the last flights out of Cancun international airport, where at least 100 flights were canceled on Thursday. It expects the storm to weaken rapidly while crossing the peninsula early on Friday, but sees Beryl getting stronger again when it moves over the Gulf of Mexico.On Thursday, the island getaway of Isla Mujeres evacuated about 3,000 tourists back to the mainland near Cancun, its tourism director, Jose Magana, said.