Hurricane Beryl Ravages the Caribbean, Yucatán Peninsula, and Texas

Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas on July 8, 2024. Almost two weeks later, Houston —the fourth-largest city in America — is still picking up the pieces (Donald Sparks/Wikimedia Commons)

Originating as a tropical wave off the coast of Africa, Hurricane Beryl formed on June 29, 2024, and rapidly grew to become the first major hurricane of the 2024 season. Striking parts of the Caribbean as a Category Five hurricane, the storm has broken records and stunned meteorologists with the nature of its intensity and destruction. And although it dissipated on July 11, communities over a vast stretch of Central and North America are picking up the pieces and dealing with its grim aftermath.

The Beginnings of Beryl

Over the two days between June 29 and June 30, Hurricane Beryl evolved from a Category One to a Category Four hurricane. Beryl made landfall a day later over the islands of Carriacou, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On top of being the first Category Four hurricane these islands have ever witnessed, its consequences were tangible. Officials in Carriacou stated that more than 95 percent of homes were affected by the hurricane, with infrastructure like schools and hospitals being utterly razed. Although the Red Cross and other volunteers worked hard to prepare for the storm with the short notice they had, their rescue efforts were hindered by the weather. Although thousands managed to find shelter and supplies in safe houses, the death toll has been significant for an early-season storm: five in Grenada and five in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

On July 3, a day after hitting the aforementioned islands, Beryl reached the peak of its strength as a Category Five hurricane, touching down in Jamaica. According to meteorologists, the first hurricane of the season typically occurs in September, and as such, Beryl is the earliest Category Five hurricane to emerge in the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the strongest hurricane Jamaica has seen since 1851. According to Jamaican energy provider JPS, 65 percent of homes were left without power and at least eight individuals died in the wake of the storm.

Beryl reached its final destination before moving on to the southern coast of the U.S. on July 6: the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Having devolved into a Category Two, wind speeds reached a high of 108 miles per hour, falling on the lower end of the hurricane’s spectrum. However, the damages were still immense. Despite steadfast preparation, such as the boarding up of establishments, deployment of troops to high-risk areas, and evacuations in tourist destinations like Cancún and Tulum, widespread power outages and flooding shocked the peninsula. At least 10 individuals have been reported dead amid the destruction. However, most citizens received their power back in two to three days and most establishments are now up and running once more thanks to the efforts before the storm.

Beryl Hits Texas

On July 8, Beryl touched down in Matagorda, Texas as a Category One. Officials warned residents of a deadly storm surge before Beryl’s arrival, culminating in up to 15 inches of rainwater and winds of up to 80 miles per hour. Less than 48 hours later, Beryl made its way to the Greater Houston area, bringing devastation to multiple counties, including the city’s downtown Central Business District. Despite being a Category One tropical storm, at least 13 individuals passed away due to the storm’s initial impact and approximately 3 million homes were left without power. As Houston temperatures rose back into the 90s following the storm, a lack of air conditioning has led to at least six heat-induced deaths to date.

Houston’s Controversial Response

The Houston area is no stranger to wind and water. As recently as May 2024, downtown Houston faced heavy winds and rain that led to fatalities, business and school closures, and other industrial damages. Due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, this area is frequently hit by hurricanes with similar or greater magnitude than Beryl. “We’re past the time of saying that this wasn’t predictable,” said Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin. As such, Texan politicians and residents alike have raised concerns over the city’s poor response to the disaster. Many cite the delayed response to the grand power outage as their main concern. Energy company CenterPoint has come under fire after their Outage Tracker revealed that, almost two weeks after the hurricane, more than 100,000 homes are without power. After facing pressure and backlash to do so, Houston Mayor John Whitmire publicly spoke out against CenterPoint and encouraged an investigation. On July 15, the Texas Public Utilities Commission stated its intention to look into CenterPoint’s preparation and response to the storm.

As previously mentioned, Houston is no stranger to storms and hurricanes alike. But this also isn’t the first time a natural disaster has led to power outages and other major meltdowns that purportedly could have been avoided. Widespread power outages occurred on a grand scale during 2017’s Hurricane Harvey and 2021’s Winter Storm Umi, with both being met with either delayed or frazzled responses. Experts have speculated that what makes Houston, Texas in particular, an outlier when it comes to natural disaster response is the nature of its power grid. Texas’ power grid is unconventionally closed off from its neighboring states, allowing the state to commandeer its electrical network with decreased regulation and lower prices. Amid this system, power companies have often chosen to opt out of making costly infrastructure upgrades, making the system more privy to strain in times of increased energy demand. And due to Texas’ isolated power grid, borrowing power from other states is often foregone, leading to even more pressure.

Witnessing the failure of Houston’s power grid has brought attention to more practical solutions that may offer cities safety nets in the face of future natural disasters. One such example is investing in microgrids. True to their name, they would effectively break the power grid into smaller, more manageable sections that could source local power more feasibly, with wind and solar energy being the most popular options. Texans have already begun to anticipate the widespread deployment of microgrids, with $1.8 billion being allocated to the cause just last year. In addition, there can be no doubt that individuals, after having faced the consequences of the Houston power grid, are beginning to look into other ways to power their homes. Rest assured, natural disasters like Beryl are always a learning opportunity for governments and citizens alike. One can hope that all those affected by Beryl will be able to rebuild and restructure to promote a safer future.