THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE. WE ARE COVERING IT ALL TONIGHT AND START WITH
NBC’S SAM BROCK IN
JAMAICA.
>> Reporter: AFTER
DAYS OF ANTICIPATION,
HURRICANE BERYL
BLASTED ITS WAY BY
JAMAICA AS A MASSIVE
CATEGORY 4 STORM WITH
140-MILE-AN-HOUR
WINDS.
THE STRONGEST SYSTEM
TO THREATEN THE ISLAND
IN ALMOST TWO DECADES.
>> IMPOSSIBLE!
>> Reporter: SPAWNING
DANGEROUS STORM SURGE
THAT WASHED OVER A
NARROW ROAD TO THE
MAINLAND.
WE’RE STANDING IN WIND
THAT HAS TO BE AT
LEAST 70 OR 80 MILES
AN HOUR.
I CAN’T SEE STRAIGHT
RIGHT NOW.
NOT AS POWERFUL AS
MANY EXPECTED IT’S
STILL STRONG ENOUGH TO
BEND POWER POLES AND
JAMAICA’S PRIME
MINISTER ISSUING AN
EVACUATION ORDER.
>> WE URGE ALL
JAMAICANS WITH NOTICES
TO EVACUATE.
>> Reporter: IN
KINGSTON THE MAYOR
TRYING TO CONVINCE
PEOPLE TO GO TO
SHELTERS RIGHT BEFORE
THE STORM HIT.
>> I HAVE CEREAL,
SUGAR.
>> Reporter: WE MET
PEOPLE STACKING UP ON
LAST-MINUTE SUPPLIES.
>> WHAT IS YOUR
BIGGEST CONCERN GOING
INTO THE STORM?
>> THE LIGHT AND THE
WATER.
>> Reporter: THIS IS A
FAMILY OWNED STORE
THAT’S BEEN HERE FOR
MORE THAN 70 YEARS.
>> WHAT ARE YOUR
GREATEST FEARS AS WE
AWAIT THE LANDFILL OF
THE STORM?
>> I’M MORE AFRAID FOR
MY EMPLOYEES.
WE ARE LIKE FAMILY.
THEY ARE FAMILY.
>> Reporter: BERYL
ALREADY DEVASTATED
SEVERAL ISLANDS
SOUTHEAST OF JAMAICA
KILLING AT LEAST
SEVEN.
IN ANY GRADE DA, AN
ISLAND LARGELY
FLATTENED HERE.
THESE IMAGES SHOW IT
BEFORE AND AFTER.
WHILE IN ST. VINCENT
IN THE GRENADINES, THE
DESTRUCTION IS
INDESCRIBABLE.
98% OF HOMES ON UNION
ISLAND ARE EITHER
SEVERELY DAMAGED OR
DESTROYED.
>> IT’S A MESS.
>> Reporter: AS THE
CAYMAN ISLANDS AND
MEXICO ARE NOW NEXT IN
BERYL’S CROSSHAIRS.
>> SAM BROCK JOINS US
TONIGHT FROM JAMAICA.
CLEARLY A DANGEROUS
SITUATION THERE.
ARE THERE ANY SEARCH
AND RESCUES UNDERWAY
THERE, AND WHAT ARE
THE CONDITIONS LIKE?
>> Reporter: YEAH,
TOM, WE KNOW A COUPLE
OF HOURS AGO, ABOUT 70
PEOPLE WERE RESCUED
AND TAKEN TO SHELTERS.
ROUGHLY 500 IN
SHELTERS RIGHT NOW AND
AS YOU FEEL THIS RAIN
REALLY PICKING UP
THAT’S THE BIGGEST
RISK.
IT CONTINUES TO POUR
INTO HIGHER ELEVATIONS
AND INCREASES THE RISK