And Then Came Beryl

By |2024-07-14T16:33:35-05:00July 15th, 2024|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Photo: www.outlookindia.com

 

 

 

 

 

Hurricanes and Tropical Storms are a way of life here on the Texas Gulf Coast. And, there have been some doozies.

  • Hurricane Alicia in 1983 The area hadn’t seen a hurricane in three years and this one packed a wallop – 21 deaths, and NO power for twelve days.
  • Tropical Storm Allison (2001) Another doozy that hung around for four days dumping rain that flooded the Texas Medical Center. Allison was the flood of record for the Houston area before Harvey (2017) which was the worst flood storm in US history.

During hurricane season, weathermen track disturbances from the African coast. When the whirling winds head into the Bay of Campeche, our serious storm preparations begin.

Beryl (2024) looked harmless as it crossed into the Gulf of Mexico. We prepared but didn’t worry. Then the storm picked up steam, became a Category One hurricane, and turned westward toward our part of the coast.

Beryl fooled us when it came ashore at 4 a.m. unleashing powerful wind and intensified over us. Trees swayed and tumbled. Water rushed. Power lines went down. Homes lost electricity. Hospitals ran on backup generators for days. Thankfully, our whole house Generac kept us powered. Sadly, there are still homes without power today.

Seven people died in Texas, and 2.5 million customers were without power.

Beryl was the first storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season to make landfall in the US. Scary to think we have four more months to go.

There have been other Beryls. Beryl in 2012 was a Tropical Storm that hit the Southeastern coast over Memorial Day weekend, ahead of the June 1 official opening date for hurricane season. That storm’s powerful winds knocked out power across the region and dumped 4 to 12 inches of rain.

Beryl in 2018 was the first Atlantic hurricane that year. It intensified quickly from a tropical depression to a Category 1 hurricane. The remnants of Beryl brought gusty winds, rough surf, and dangerous rip currents to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Nice name Beryl, but its reputation is awful and scary. I’d suggest picking a different name for the next Hurricane season.