On Monday, Hurricane Beryl, initially a tropical storm, swept across southeast Texas and Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane, cutting power to more than 2.7 million homes and businesses and killing at least 8 people.
What has been the impact of the hurricane so far?
As of Tuesday, 2.3 million customers in Texas were without power, with additional outages reported in Louisiana and Arkansas, said PowerOutage.us. Restoring electricity is expected to take days, or even weeks, in some areas, depriving many of air conditioning amidst the ongoing heat wave. At Houston’s main airport, more than 1,100 flights were cancelled, according to Flightaware.com.
A disaster was declared for 121 counties, nearly half of Texas, by Acting Governor Dan Patrick.
The National Hurricane Centre reported that the hurricane caused widespread disruption upon landfall near Matagorda, uprooting trees, damaging power lines, and shutting down schools, businesses, offices, and financial institutions. Oil ports were forced to close, and highways were flooded.
Most deaths have been attributed to fallen trees, with two cases reported due to carbon monoxide poisoning in Houston’s Harris County.
US President Joe Biden approved a federal emergency disaster declaration to aid recovery efforts, including debris clearance, as reported by Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office.
Beryl initially swept across the Caribbean as a Category 5 hurricane, with wind speeds reaching 165 mph (265 km/h), killing 11 people. It is extremely rare for a Category 5 hurricane to form this early in the year, as major storms typically develop closer to September.
What do scientists say?
According to scientists, climate change is likely a contributing factor to the rapid strengthening of storms like Beryl, attributing this phenomenon to the increased energy available in warmer oceans, which hurricanes can harness for intensified development. As the world and its oceans continue to warm, scientists are concerned that even more powerful hurricanes could develop in the near future.
Addressing the media on Monday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, emphasising the ongoing efforts to ensure public safety, urged residents to stay indoors, remain vigilant against flood risks, stay hydrated, and support their neighbours during the crisis.
According to the National Weather Service, Beryl is now a post-tropical cyclone and is expected to continue to head northeastward and cause severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and flooding in parts of the Midwest, eastern Great Lakes, and Northeast.
