Beryl Leaves 4 Dead in Texas and Causes a Massive Blackout
Flood caused by Beryl in Texas, U.S., July 8, 2024. Photo: X/ @KrdDeck
July 9, 2024 Hour: 7:43 am
Lieutenant Governor Patrick indicated that it will take several days to restore the electrical service.
The passage of Tropical Storm Beryl through Texas left at least 4 dead and caused a massive blackout, affecting more than 2 million people. Beryl, which downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm early Monday morning after making landfall in the southeast of the state on Sunday, will continue to move towards the center of the country and the Great Lakes region.
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Although the storm is expected to continue weakening, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of possible flooding throughout the state and along the coasts. It also issued tornado alerts in eastern Texas and western Louisiana.
In the Houston area, authorities reported a total of four dead this afternoon, including a local police officer. The latter was identified as Russell Richardson, 54, who died after being trapped in his car in the middle of a flood.
Texas Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick, also confirmed that over 2.7 million people are without electricity and indicated that it will take “several days” to restore service.
“We are mobilizing all our resources… to begin the process of restoring power to our customers quickly and safely,” said Lynnae Wilson, vice president of CenterPoint Energy.
Before its arrival in the United States, Beryl reached category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale in the Caribbean a week ago, where it caused death and destruction, and then made landfall early Friday morning in Tulum, Mexico.
So far in the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1, three named tropical storms have formed: Alberto, Beryl, and Chris. This year, the Atlantic is expected to have a well-above-average hurricane season, with the possibility of up to 13 hurricanes, seven of which may be major hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Autor: teleSUR/ JF
Fuente: EFE
