By: Rachel Chen

Hurricane Beryl is live in action today, July 8th, 2024. Texans all over the state call this an emergency because of Beryl’s massive destruction.

In Houston, two people, one of whom is a 74-year-old woman, have passed away due to falling trees. Trees are crashing down on homes, crushing the things inside.

Power outages are all over the place. Two million people are living with zero power in their homes. This is because of the high speed winds surging through Texas. Although Hurricane Beryl is only a Category 1 hurricane, the wind speeds still are reaching 65 mph inland in Texas and a high 80 mph in Conroe.

Aside from wind damage, water also causes many inconveniences. Streets are flooding so much that Houston’s bayous which drain water during storms are completely full or overflowing. All transportation is now unsafe. Cars are unable to drive on roads because of the water. The main reason for all this water is the rising tide and inland river water. These bodies of water have hit major flood levels already.

Beryl has triggered a lot of pollution as well. The Galveston Bay Refinery lost power in the hurricane and is now releasing thousands of pounds of toxic and polluting gases into the atmosphere.

At around midday, Hurricane Beryl is 55 miles north of Houston. Beryl is not as strong as it was before, but wind and rain still surround it. Beryl is traveling inland toward western Louisiana and the states around it. These states are now putting warning signs of danger everywhere.