In response to the looming threat posed by Hurricane Beryl, Gov. Greg Abbott has taken action to elevate the state’s emergency preparedness.
On July 5, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) ramped up the State Emergency Operations Center to “Level II readiness” to better deploy resources statewide if needed.
Abbott emphasized the urgency of these measures in a press release.
The storm, now a Category 3 hurricane, is projected to hit the Caribbean and Yucatan Peninsula before potentially making landfall along the Texas Gulf Coast over the weekend.
The preemptive measures come on the heels of an advisory issued to 39 Texas Emergency Management Council Agencies mandating preparedness for hurricane response.
Various agencies have been mobilized to support emergency operations. The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, for instance, has readied up to 200 search and rescue personnel and boat squads.
Up to 1,000 sworn members of the Texas National Guard stand ready, and the Texas Department of Public Safety has deployed additional resources in preparation for Beryl.
Healthcare infrastructure has also been enhanced with the deployment of medical incident support teams by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Additionally, the Texas Department of Transportation has mobilized highway maintenance crews and monitoring personnel to observe roadway conditions throughout the state.
The Salvation Army will also deploy an incident command team to San Antonio in preparation for the storm.
“This strategic placement allows them to closely monitor the situation and be in closer proximity to areas in Texas that may be affected,” Brad Mayhar, public relations manager for the Salvation Army San Antonio, told KSAT News.
Following its passage over the Yucatan Peninsula, Hurricane Beryl is expected to reemerge over the waters of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The waters have had several days to recover since Tropical Storm Chris passed through, which could support a renewed increase in wind intensity, according to a recent report by AccuWeather.
AccuWeather meteorologists anticipate that Beryl will make landfall again near the Texas and Mexico border between Sunday evening and early Monday morning.
Abbott has urged Texans to familiarize themselves with hurricane evacuation routes. For up-to-date storm information and preparation tips, readers can visit the TDEM Disaster Portal, Texas Hurricane Center webpages, and other authoritative sources such as TexasReady.gov and tdem.texas.gov/prepare.