Hurricane Beryl Weakens After Knocking Out Power to Millions in Texas

On Monday, July 8th, Hurricane Beryl struck Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, causing widespread devastation before weakening to a tropical depression. The storm left nearly 3 million homes and businesses without power and claimed at least three lives. Texas officials warned that it could take several days to restore power after Beryl toppled transmission lines and knocked down trees, leading to extensive outages.

Acting Texas Governor Dan Patrick emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “We’re not past any difficult conditions. It’s going to be a multiple-day process to get power restored.” 

Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, was hit particularly hard, with CenterPoint Energy reporting over 2 million outages in the area. The company is prioritizing the restoration of power to critical facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living centers.

The storm’s impact extended beyond power outages. Beryl’s strong winds and heavy rains caused significant damage, uprooting trees, flooding streets, and stranding vehicles. The National Weather Service confirmed tornado sightings in northeastern Louisiana, where a woman was killed by a falling tree in Benton. In Houston, two people died when trees fell on their homes, and a Houston Police Department employee drowned in floodwaters.

Residents in affected areas are struggling to cope with the aftermath of Beryl. Eva Costancio, a 67-year-old from Rosenberg, Texas, expressed concern over the prolonged power outage, saying, “We haven’t really slept. We are struggling to have food, and losing that food would be difficult.” The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the region, warning that temperatures could reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit in the coming days.

Emergency services have been working tirelessly to rescue those trapped by floodwaters. Houston Mayor John Whitmire reported at least 25 water rescues by Monday afternoon. He praised first responders, stating, “First responders are putting their lives at risk. That’s what they’re trained for. It’s working.”

President Joe Biden has been receiving regular updates on the storm’s progress. The United States Coast Guard and FEMA have prepared search and rescue teams, and FEMA has collected essential supplies, including bottled water, meals, tarps, and electric generators, in anticipation of the storm’s aftermath.

Beryl, the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic ocean in recorded history, has caused widespread devastation across the Caribbean and Texas. In Jamaica, the storm destroyed over $6.4 million in crops, leading to food shortages. As Beryl continues to move inland, heavy rains and strong winds are expected to impact additional states, including Louisiana, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and New York.

The storm’s extensive damage and ongoing challenges highlight the importance of emergency preparedness and community resilience in the face of natural disasters.