Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Tropical storm Beryl is now charting a dangerous path towards Texas, with state officials issuing a disaster declaration for 40 counties and urging residents across the coast to evacuate.
The National Hurricane Center has forecast Beryl will bring dangerous rip currents to the Gulf Coast over the weekend before likely hitting southern Texas late on Sunday.
The storm is forecast to re-strengthen into a hurricane as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico and will have become a category 1 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in the US.
Governor Greg Abbott warned Texans to prepare for impact: “As Texans and visitors in south coastal areas celebrate Independence Day, I urge them to also make an emergency plan to stay safe.”
Beryl has so far killed at least eleven people in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Jamaica and Venezuela after it charted a deadly path through the Caribbean as a category five hurricane earlier in the week.
On Wednesday, the storm knocked out power to 400,000 homes and destroyed buildings in Jamaica. On Friday morning, it made landfall on the popular Mexico tourist destination Tulum with 85mph winds and dangerous storm surge.
Hurricane season 2024 is here. Here’s how to stay prepared
Hurricane season is upon us, known for disastrous flooding and high-speed winds in coastal areas of the United States and in the Caribbean and Central America, and emergency management officials are urging people to stay prepared.
Unlike previous hurricane seasons, this summer brings record hot temperatures nationwide and an early onset of storms. Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30, but usually the most hurricanes occur in September and October, said Jaime Hernandez, the emergency management director for Hollywood, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast.
READ MORE:
WATCH: Hurricane Beryl tears roof off school as storm rips through Caribbean
Texas residents given voluntary evacuation nudge
Officials in Matagorda County emergency management called for a voluntary evacuation on Friday night for residents living and visiting the state’s coast ahead of Beryl’s arrival on Sunday.
The voluntary evaucation includes residents in Sargent, Matagorda, and Palacios counties.
A voluntary evacuation is essentially a strong recommendation for residents to and visitors to seek shelter elsewhere until it is safe to return.
Rains from Beryl may stretch well into next week for Texans
When Storm Beryl arrives in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, it is expected to bring 5-10 inches of rainfall, with some locations seeing as high as 15 inches.
The rain will most affect the eastern coast of Texas beginning later on Sunday and stretching into the middle of next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Along with the rain high winds, the storm will also bring a 2-5 foot storm surge to the coast.
WATCH: Mexican officials evacuated sea turtle eggs ahead of Beryl
Shocking aerial photos show widespread devastation after Hurricane Beryl moved through Caribbean
World Central Kitchen sends aid to Carriacou Island
World Central Kitchen, a disaster relief non-profit, has sent a support team to Grenada’s Carriacou Island in the wake of Beryl.
The storm “flattened” the island in half an hour on Monday, officials said, after it swept through the region as a Category 5 hurricane.
More than 10,000 sea turtle eggs were rescued from Mexico’s beach ahead of Hurricane Beryl
As Hurricane Beryl approached Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula this week, officials scrambled to evacuate an especially vulnerable group - sea turtle eggs.
Mexican officials moved to save the eggs on Wednesday ahead of the storm, which made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane near Tulum early Friday.
Officials relocated the eggs using sand-filled coolers and helped insulate their nests along the beach, the Associated Press reported. Storm surge and rises in sea level — conditions which Beryl and other storms cause — pose significant threats to sea turtle eggs, because they can’t hatch if they’re swept out to sea.
Read more:
Rapid analysis shows Beryl impacted by climate crisis
Beryl, which became a tropical storm after hitting Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, was made 10-30 percent more intense due to human-induced climate change, according to a rapid analysis study by Climameter.
Beryl’s higher intensity was also driven by natural weather patterns in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, according to the Climameter study.
Beryl made history the earliest recorded Category 5 hurricane this week.
“It’s really scary stuff,” Steve Maximay, a climate and agriculture expert in Grenada, previously told The Independent.
”When you talk about Category 4 and 5, there are very few systems or protocols that can prepare you for that,” Maximay continued. “You can have resilient buildings but category five winds can move concrete structures.”
Hurricane Beryl’s growth into a Category 5 storm can be partly attributed to record-warm ocean temperatures. High water temperatures can contribute to sea level rise and hurt marine life in addition to fueling strong storms like Hurricane Beryl. Ocean temperatures will likely continue to rise even if we curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to NOAA.
Island nations are at the front lines of the climate crisis, given their vulnerability to violent storms and sea-level rise.
The Alliance of Small Island States, an organization designed to create a unified voice for small island nations to address the ongoing climate crisis, denounced the climate crisis and its impact on island nations.
ICYMI: Plane flies into the eye of Beryl
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvYW1lcmljYXMvaHVycmljYW5lLWJlcnlsLXRyYWNrZXItcGF0aC1saXZlLW1leGljby10ZXhhcy11cy1jdXJhY2FvLWIyNTc1MjA2Lmh0bWzSAQA?oc=5
2024-07-07 06:00:00Z
CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvYW1lcmljYXMvaHVycmljYW5lLWJlcnlsLXRyYWNrZXItcGF0aC1saXZlLW1leGljby10ZXhhcy11cy1jdXJhY2FvLWIyNTc1MjA2Lmh0bWzSAQA
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar