Sheryl Lee Ralph is asking for prayers as residents of Jamaica prepare themselves for Hurricane Beryl’s arrival.
The Order of Jamaica honoree is currently in the country for her son’s wedding, but the timing couldn’t be worse as Hurricane Beryl batters the island nation just days before the nuptials.
On July 2, the night before Hurricane Beryl’s arrival in Jamaica, Ralph shared an update.
“From the looks of the sky, it looks like Beryl is going be here much sooner than the news keeps saying,” she said. “It’s very calm here in Jamaica. The sky is so beautifully clear, and they said that the sea looked like glass today.”
“I just wanted to say to everybody, please stay inside. There’s a curfew starting at 6 a.m. [July 3]. Stay off the road in Kingston,” she emphasized. “I hope you’ve put oil in your lamp and are taking extra care.”
‘Pray for us’
Meanwhile, Ralph’s son Etienne Maurice is still set to tie the knot with ABC News producer Stephanie Wash on July 6. With just days before the ceremony, however, the couple is keeping a close eye on the conditions.
“We are praying this hurricane passes, everyone remains safe, and there’s no destruction to the island,” Maurice and Wash told People. “This hurricane was unexpected and unprecedented. Once we’re through this challenge, we know we can get through anything together.”
“For now the wedding is still on for Saturday, but we are monitoring things closely,” they said. “Understandably, we lost a number of guests whose flights were canceled coming from the states and globally.”
Maurice proposed to his then longtime girlfriend Wash on July 6, 2023. The surprise engagement soiree was complete with family and friends on a NYC rooftop.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Beryl “is forecast to pass near or over Jamaica” Wednesday afternoon before passing near or over the Cayman Islands later tonight or early tomorrow. On Friday, the storm will move over Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
‘The storm, expected to hit Jamaica as a Category 4, at times strengthened to a Category 5 after becoming the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.