News in brief

Texas Braces as Hurricane Beryl Slams Coast

Monday 08 July 2024 - 12:40

Hurricane Beryl made a formidable landfall on Monday, crashing into the southern US state of Texas with alarming force. As the storm's wrath became evident, residents were swiftly evacuated amid severe warnings of flooding and power outages.

In a dramatic turn of events, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) confirmed that Beryl struck the town of Matagorda with wind speeds reaching 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour. The center’s latest bulletin warned of "life-threatening storm surge and strong winds," predicting considerable flash and urban flooding.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado alert covering parts of Texas, including the sprawling metropolis of Houston, home to 2.3 million residents. Houston Mayor John Whitmire emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "We have to take Beryl very, very seriously. Our worst enemy is complacency." He urged residents to stay vigilant, noting that the nighttime conditions could drastically worsen by morning.

On Sunday, several regions along the Texas coast were placed under hurricane and storm warnings. Matagorda, situated roughly between Corpus Christi and Galveston Island, was in Beryl's direct path.

The NHC forecasted rainfall of up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) in parts of Texas, cautioning that such deluges could trigger flash flooding. In anticipation, authorities in Nueces County, which includes Corpus Christi, advised tourists to evacuate, while Refugio County—still recovering from the devastating Hurricane Harvey in 2017 issued a mandatory evacuation order on Saturday.

Galveston, southeast of Houston, announced a voluntary evacuation for certain areas, with social media videos showing long lines of cars fleeing the impending storm.

Acting State Governor Dan Patrick implored Texans to remain alert and heed the directives of local officials. "It will be a deadly storm for people who are directly in that path," Patrick stated during a state emergency management news conference. "Trust me, you don't want to be in a Category 1," he added, highlighting the dangers even at the lowest hurricane level.

Hurricane Beryl has already claimed at least seven lives as it rampaged through the Caribbean and Venezuela with Category 5 strength winds. By the time it hit Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane on Friday, it had flattened trees, toppled lampposts, and torn off roof tiles, though fortunately, no fatalities or injuries were reported.

Before reaching Texas, Beryl's destructive path included the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as Venezuela. Notably, Beryl is the first hurricane on record to attain Category 4 intensity in June and the earliest to escalate to Category 5 in July, a testament to its unprecedented power.

Meteorologists and scientists are increasingly attributing the rapid intensification of storms like Beryl to climate change, which is infusing more energy into warmer ocean waters. Currently, the North Atlantic waters are reported to be between two and five degrees Fahrenheit (one to three degrees Celsius) warmer than average, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As Texas hunkers down, the nation watches closely, hoping for minimal impact but preparing for the worst.