By: Nina He

Hurricanes are known for being extremely destructive. They knock out power, destroy buildings, and create floods. Hurricane Beryl is no expectation—and it landed right on coastal Texas.

On Sunday evening, coastal Texas was experiencing high winds and rain. The hurricane landed in Texas on Tuesday as a Category 1.

Category 1 hurricanes have winds 74-79 mph. They can cause minor damage to roofs, gutters, and other exposed areas while falling debris could strike. There will also likely be some downed power lines and along the coast, there could be a storm surge up to 5 feet.

Hurricane Beryl formed in late June and had already passed through a few countries, making its way across the Caribbean as a Category 4 hurricane and the Gulf of Mexico. It hit Matagorda Bay and brought strong rip currents, flooding and heavy rains.

The hurricane had made itself a reputation with a death toll of 14, and at Port Aransas, many residents rushed to take the last ferry out of town. Sunday afternoon, Mr. William Parker took the evacuation order and hopped on the last ferry. “It felt good to get out on time. If you see the satellite images, it’s not far. It’s just there, right off the coast,” he said.

While Hurricane Beryl can cause a lot of damage, some Texans were actually relying on this storm to bring some relief. West and Central Texas along the Rio Grande are under a dry spell. 3.5 million Texans are currently experiencing drought. These residents are hoping that the storm will bring some much needed water to them. It’s unlikely, however, that Hurricane Beryl will land in those places.

After hitting Texas, the remnants of Beryl spread rain across Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio, and Michigan, bringing significant damage to those areas and taking even more lives.

Image Credit by Pixabay