Texas takes action ahead of Beryl

Projection cone for Hurricane BerylPhoto byNational Hurricane Center

At just over a month into it, the 2024 Hurricane Season started with the kind of activity that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had cautioned. While Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, developed later in the month than any previous year's first named storm of the season, the 2024 season produced a second storm just over a week later on June 28.

The disturbance that developed into Tropical Storm Alberto originated on June 12 in the Gulf of Mexico. The disturbance intensified into a tropical storm on June 19 before peaking with winds of 50 mph (80 km/h) and making landfall near Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, the next morning. Alberto quickly weakened into a tropical depression but not before bringing torrential and life-taking rains from Northeastern Mexico across Southern Texas and into Louisiana. Eight deaths were reported as a result of the rains and flooding, and an estimated $10 million in damage was caused.

A week after the dissipation of Alberto, a new storm emerged. On June 25, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) noticed a tropical wave south of Cabo Verde that it regarded as having a "low potential" to develop into a tropical cyclone. The next 48 hours changed that assessment, with the NHC noting a "high likelihood of development" on June 27. What is now Hurricane Beryl became Tropical Depression Two on June 28 as it passed approximately 1,225 miles (1,970 km) east-southeast of Barbados.

Fishermen in Barbados pull a damaged boat to shore, July 1, 2024Photo byRicardo Mazalan/AP

Spurred partly by record-warm sea surface temperatures throughout the tropical Atlantic Ocean, Beryl became a hurricane on June 29, being upgraded to a "major hurricane" on June 30 based on observations from Hurricane Hunter aircraft. At 10:00 pm CDT on July 1 (3:00 am UTC July 2), Beryl peaked with winds reaching 165mph (270 km/h), making this the earliest Category 5 hurricane in history.

Located south of Jamaica as of 10:00 am CDT on July 3, Beryl is projected to enter the Gulf of Mexico and aim for Northeastern Mexico near the border with Texas. With winds of 125 knots and gusts to 150 knots (144 mph to 173 mph), Beryl is expected to weaken as it gets closer to shore. Overnight from June 30 to July 1, though, the storm had weakened as it underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, so some experts are indicating that Beryl could experience a resurgence in strength.

In anticipation of this possibility, Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) on Wednesday to notify various Texas Emergency Management Council Agencies that deployment of emergency resources may be necessary.

The notice, to be sent to 39 agencies, advises the agencies "to prepare to support hurricane response and recovery efforts and to develop 24/7 staffing plans for the State Emergency Operations Center..."

Gov. Abbott reassured citizens, saying, "Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources and support to our coastal communities as Hurricane Beryl approaches the state." He urged diligence, though, in light of the potential danger that the storm brings:

"As Texans around the south coastal areas make holiday plans and visitors begin to travel for the holiday weekend, I urge them to take necessary safety precautions, remain weather aware, and have an emergency plan ready for themselves and their families."

Texas Department of Emergency Management seal and logoPhoto byState of Texas

No stranger to hurricanes, the State of Texas has developed a variety of online resources to assist citizens and visitors in monitoring the situation and in preparing:

• Hurricane preparedness and escape routes
• Survival kit
• TDEM Hurricane Beryl page
• Texas Hurricane Center
• Texas Ready
• TDEM Preparedness Tips