Emergency management officials urge Texans to prepare now in case Hurricane Beryl heads this way
The Texas Division of Emergency Management advises coastal residents and visitors to have a plan in place as a powerful Beryl roars toward the Gulf of Mexico.
GALVESTON, Texas — It's going to be a few days before we know whether Hurricane Beryl will impact the Texas coast but emergency management officials are urging Texans to start preparing now -- just in case.
After battering Grenada, Beryl continued churning through the Caribbean Sea Tuesday as a powerful Category 4 storm on a path toward Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
The Gulf of Mexico will be next. It's too soon to say where in the Gulf and the spaghetti models are all over the place but Texas is in the cone of uncertainty.
"By the time we get into late Saturday or early Sunday, Beryl could be in the vicinity of eastern Mexico or South Texas," National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan told us Tuesday.
Three factors will play a major role in whether Texas sees impacts, according to KHOU 11 News Meteorologist Kim Castro.
1.) Land interactions. Will Beryl keep nudging north and gaining latitude? If so, land interactions would weaken the storm. However, a northerly push may mean it ends up further north when it enters the Gulf.
2.) Wind shear. Will Beryl maintain a Cat. 1 hurricane strength as it makes landfall in the Yucatan? Or will the unfavorable conditions -- more sheared winds in the Caribbean -- help weaken it enough that it's not much of anything when it gets to the Gulf.
3.) Steering currents. Is Beryl still organized enough to get picked up by the upper-level winds and slung into the north side of the gulf into the Texas coastline? This is a possibility because the high-pressure heat dome that shielded us from most of the impacts of Tropical Strom Alberto is moving east.
'Stay safe, Texas'
The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) said it's working to ensure state emergency response assets are prepared for potential deployment.
TDEM is urging Texans who live in or are visiting coastal communities to keep an eye on the Gulf and listen to local weather reports daily. They also suggest you review hurricane evacuation routes and make sure you have hurricane supplies on hand.
"Texas stands ready to deploy all support to our coastal communities by the Gulf," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said. "As you prepare for this upcoming holiday weekend, remember to stay weather-aware and have an emergency plan to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Stay safe, Texas."
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Texas are encouraged to visit the Texas Hurricane Center at gov.texas.gov/hurricane and ready.gov/hurricanes for preparedness resources and safety tips. Additional safety information is available at TexasReady.gov. Beach safety tips are available through weather.gov and rip current safety tips can be found at noaa.gov. Preparedness tips can also be found at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.
Texas stands ready to deploy all support to our coastal communities by the Gulf.
As you prepare for this upcoming holiday weekend, remember to stay weather aware & have an emergency plan to take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Stay safe, Texas. https://t.co/mMRixJ0UMG
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 2, 2024
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