Hurricane Beryl nears the Caribbean as life-threatening Category 3 storm

Incredible before and after photos lay bare Hurricane Beryl's devastation across the Caribbean islands as the powerful storm makes its way toward Jamaica.

Beryl is still expected to be a major — Category 3 or higher — hurricane as it sweeps along Jamaica’s southern coast.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for Jamaica and the islands of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, while hurricane watches are in effect for Haiti and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, where forecasters believe Beryl will reach by Thursday.

Beryl is the first storm since U.S. National Hurricane Center records began to reach the Category 4 level in June, and the earliest to reach Category 5 in July.