Janice R. Andrews
Mexico’s TULUM (AP) — After inflicting havoc on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Beryl entered the Gulf of Mexico on Friday and is currently aimed towards the coast of south Texas. As a result, Texas officials have declared a state of emergency and asked people living along the shore to get ready for the storm.
Beryl’s Influence on the Yucatan Peninsula and Tulum
Fortunately, Beryl, a Category 2 hurricane, only caused tree toppling and no fatalities or injuries in Tulum. The storm diminished to a tropical storm as it moved across the peninsula. But Beryl is expected to strengthen back into a hurricane in the warm Gulf seas and landfall in south Texas by late Sunday or early Monday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Known for being the first storm in the Atlantic to strengthen into a Category 5 hurricane, Beryl had already claimed at least 11 lives when it tore through the Caribbean earlier this week.
Beryl’s Present Situation and Strengths
Beryl’s core was situated in the Gulf of Mexico, about 615 miles (995 kilometers) southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, as of Friday afternoon. With maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), the storm was traveling west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph). Before making landfall in Texas, forecasters believe Beryl may intensify to wind gusts of 90 mph (150 kph), however the precise position is yet unknown. The majority of the Texas coast is under hurricane watch, which extends northward from the Rio Grande.
Texas ### Gets Ready for Beryl
State representatives are advising coastal people to get ready, and many Texas counties have already issued voluntary evacuation orders for low-lying regions. 10,000 sandbags were handed by Corpus Christi municipal officials in less than two hours on Friday, rapidly running out of supply.
“This is still a strong and determined storm,” Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said at a press conference. Patrick declared 40 counties to be in preemptive catastrophe mode, enabling state and municipal authorities to start organizing and hiring contractors for emergency work. The head of state emergency operations, Nim Kidd, reported that workers from oil rigs along the coast that might be in the storm’s path have begun to be moved.
Beryl’s Destructive Path
After Tropical Storm Alberto just a few weeks ago, northeastern Mexico and southern Texas are still recuperating. This week, Beryl has already wreaked havoc in Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica. Authorities report that three people have died as a result of the hurricane in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela, and two in Jamaica.
Although tens of thousands of people are still without electricity, Laura Velázquez, the chief of the civil defense office in Mexico, stated that Beryl had not resulted in any fatalities or serious injuries there and that “damages were minor.” As the hurricane hit Tulum, it knocked out power, setting off car alarms around the town and plunging Tulum into darkness. The coastal city and its environs were still battered by wind and rain on Friday morning. While on patrol, army brigades removed fallen trees and electrical cables from the streets.
Local Responses and Arrangements
Many Tulum residents took safety measures after seeing Beryl’s destruction in the Caribbean. Lucía Nagera Balcaza, 37, was one of the people who stayed inside and stocked up on supplies. “Thank God, everything was fine when we woke up this morning.” she said. “We’re out here cleaning up, but the streets are a disaster.”
Before the hurricane made landfall, authorities had prepared shelters in hotels and schools, evacuated hotels along the shore, and relocated sea turtle eggs from beaches that would have been damaged by storm surge. Travelers also adopted safety precautions. Lara Marsters, 54, an Idahoan therapist traveling to Tulum, filled up empty water bottles with tap water. She declared, “We’re going to stay safe and hunker down.”
The Caribbean’s aftermath
While many on the Yucatan Peninsula were relieved, Jamaica and other hurricane-ravaged islands are still in shock. According to official statistics, as of Friday morning, 55% of Jamaica was still without electricity, and the majority of the nation lacked running water. While visiting the southern parish of St. Elizabeth, one of the hardest-hit districts by Hurricane Beryl, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness pledged quick help for the devastated citizens.
Earlier in the week, the hurricane in Barbados sent fishing boats into disarray, ripped off roofs and cut out electricity in Jamaica, and damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on two islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A local seaman recounted the storm’s effects on Union Island, in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines, describing how he saw 2,000-gallon (7,570-liter) rubber water tanks being lifted and swept away by the wind.
Beryl has the potential to do even more damage as it approaches Texas. In an effort to lessen the damage and guarantee the safety of those in the storm’s path, Texas officials and citizens are preparing for the worst.
