Abbott directs response escalation as Cameron County issues voluntary evacuation notice

Satellite image of Hurricane Beryl, 8:50 am EDT July 4, 2024Photo byNOAA

Just a day after ordering the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to advise 39 Texas Emergency Management Council Agencies to prepare for activation, Governor Greg Abbott issued another order to TDEM in response to Hurricane Beryl.

Effective 10:00 am CDT on Friday, July 5, 2024, TDEM is to raise the readiness level of the State Emergency Operations Center to Level II (Escalated Response Conditions). Additionally, TDEM is to begin planning and readying resources for an emergency response to the storm.

As Gov. Abbott's order was made known, Hurricane Beryl, first noticed as a tropical wave on June 25 and which has already reached Category 5 status, was located approximately halfway between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The storm was moving west-northwest at 18 mph (30 km/h) with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (170 km/h).

While no watches or warnings have been issued for the Texas Coast or the Gulf of Mexico, the storm is expected to strike the Yucatan Peninsula before turning more to the northwest over the weekend, aiming for the southern end of Texas. Current predictions have Beryl reaching Texas near Boca Chica State Park and South Padre Island early Monday Morning.

Projected path of Hurricane Beryl, July 4, 2024Photo byNational Hurricane Center

South Padre Island has been struck by 98 hurricanes, including Hurricane Allen of 1980, a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 190 mph (306 km/h) and gusts to 243 mph (391 km/h).

Map of Cameron County, TexasPhoto byGoogle Maps

As Gov. Abbott prepares state resources, Cameron County issued a voluntary evacuation notice on Wednesday, July 3. County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr., asked that RVs and other high-profile vehicles be removed from county parks. Additionally, the notice issued by Judge Trevino suggests that campers secure loose items around campsites, retract awnings, and check tie-downs. Campers were also advised to have back-up power resources in the event of power outages and to consume perishable foods to avoid spoilage.

Judge Trevino made sure to note in the advisory that evacuation is merely a suggestion and not a requirement at this time. Instead, it is precautionary and preparatory in the event that the storm remains on its current path.

To help citizens prepare, the State of Texas has developed several resources online to be used in preparing for and withstanding a hurricane's landfall:

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