Restoring power to millions of Texans affected by the devastating storm Beryl could take days or even weeks, presenting a serious challenge for residents without air conditioning as temperatures soar into the triple digits across the state. Beryl made landfall in southern Texas on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, causing widespread power outages affecting over 2.5 million homes and claiming the lives of at least eight people in Texas and Louisiana. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 2.1 million Texans remained without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.
Environmental and Infrastructure Damage
The storm brought torrential rains and strong winds that turned streets into swift-flowing rivers, downed power lines, and uprooted trees, damaging homes, roads, and vehicles. Although Beryl has weakened as it moves toward the Midwest, it still poses a threat of additional flooding and tornadoes along its path.
Health and Safety Concerns
During a press briefing on Tuesday, state officials urged residents to avoid driving on flooded roads. Meanwhile, recovery and cleanup efforts are underway in southeast Texas, particularly in the Houston area, where scorching heat is exacerbating conditions. Extreme temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday present risks for outdoor workers, elderly individuals, people with chronic illnesses, children, and those lacking adequate cooling.
The heat index in Houston soared above 100 degrees on Tuesday, as reported by a local weather station. The heat index assesses how the body perceives temperature considering both heat and humidity. At Hobby International Airport, the station recorded a heat index of 103 degrees. Air temperatures across the area are forecasted to rise into the mid-90s throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Prolonged exposure to high temperatures without adequate cooling poses risks such as brain and organ damage, along with heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat poses the greatest danger among all forms of extreme weather in the US, claiming more lives annually than hurricanes and tornadoes combined.
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According to Thomas Gleeson, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, restoring power to severely affected areas will require several days. Meanwhile, officials in Galveston, a coastal city, anticipate that it may take up to two weeks before electricity is fully restored.
The Path Of Beryl
Beryl, once a record-breaking Category 5 storm, has weakened significantly to a system with winds now reaching only 30 mph. However, the remnants of Beryl are still capable of causing flooding and tornadoes across the United States as it moves inland through mid-week.
After wreaking havoc in the Caribbean and claiming at least nine lives, Beryl made history as the first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season to make landfall in the US. Experts predict a turbulent hurricane season ahead, influenced by fossil fuel pollution leading to unusually warm waters and rapidly intensifying storms.
As of Tuesday morning, the storm’s center reached Arkansas and is projected to continue through southern Missouri and Illinois by day’s end. It is then expected to traverse Indiana by Wednesday morning, followed by a rapid journey through Ohio, Michigan, and into Canada by week’s end.
Heatwave Alert
A widespread heat wave is currently affecting nearly half of the U.S. population, with a particular focus on the West Coast. This oppressive weather pattern is expected to linger over the region for several more days, bringing temperatures that are significantly higher—up to 10 to 30 degrees above normal in some areas.
The increase in frequency and intensity of these heat waves is primarily driven by human-caused climate change, which is exposing communities to increasingly hazardous temperatures.
According to the Weather Prediction Center, record-breaking high temperatures will persist through the middle of the week across large parts of the West Coast. Additionally, unusually high minimum temperatures are extending from the Gulf Coast northeastward along the East Coast.
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