The hurricane had 150 mph winds when its eye made landfall on Carriacou Island at 11:10 a.m., according to the National Hurricane Center. Power was out throughout Grenada and residents were advised to shelter in place as Beryl brought down power lines and tore away roofs.
The last major hurricane to reach the country's shores was Ivan, which caused widespread devastation with winds of more than 135 mph in 2004.
Nourished by warm waters, Beryl is expected to remain an "extremely dangerous major hurricane" as its core slams through the eastern Caribbean, the hurricane center said in its 8 p.m. ET advisory. The storm's top sustained winds increased to near 155 mph, just two below Category 5 status. Despite some expected variation by midweek, Beryl is predicted to remain a hurricane.