From the cover
BY RACHEL LELAND & HALEY VELASCO CONTRIBUTIONS BY JOVANNA AGUILAR, WESLEY GARDNER, VANESSA HOLT, EMILY LINCKE, JESSICA SHORTEN & AUBREY VOGEL
also a faculty member at the College of Engi- neering, said he was surprised so many people lost electricity from the Category 1 hurricane. “I had a hard time believing it when I looked at the numbers on the power outage map,” he said. “What I suspect happened is you have trees falling on distribution lines, and you also have higher wind knocking over some transmission towers and distribution towers as well.” The background Hurricane Beryl initially formed as a tropical depression over the Atlantic Ocean on June 28 before strengthening into the first Atlantic hurricane of 2024 the following day, according to the National Weather Service. The hurricane traveled through the Gulf of Mexico before turning northeast, and by July 8, Beryl made
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Beryl by the numbers
Following Hurricane Beryl making landfall on July 8, statewide and regional officials are continuing recovery efforts, including those in Friendswood, Manvel and Pearland. The region endured several inches of water and high winds, with the storm leaving in its wake wind damage, street flooding and millions without power or internet across the Greater Houston area. As part of the recovery, Pearland City Council is sorting out debris pickup and waiving permit fees to help speed up recovery for those whose homes were damaged. In Manvel, Mayor Dan Davis said he and others have been working to clean up debris, and he has been active with updates on social media. “Together each one of us … will work everyday to make
8 people in Texas have died as a result of Hurricane Beryl.
10 power transmission lines were downed during the storm in the Greater Houston area.
47 water rescues were conducted by Harris County and city of Houston agencies.
2.2M CenterPoint customers in the Greater Houston area were left without power on July 8.
$28B-$32B is the preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Beryl in the U.S.
Historical peak wind gusts Pearland-Friendswood area
landfall for the third time as a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds near Matagorda, Texas. Thomas Gleeson, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said state agencies will work with local utility companies to strengthen
Hobby Airport
70 mph
Hurricane Beryl (July 8)
“We know we have important work ahead for our customers who depend on us, especially during the hot summer months.”
sure that we recover fully and will thrive in the days to come as a result and after this storm,” Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole said in a July 8 news
84 mph
51 mph
Hurricane Harvey (August 2017)
LYNNAE WILSON, CENTERPOINT ENERGY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
48 mph
64 mph
Hurricane Ike (September 2008)
conference. The impact Due to Brazoria County being so close to the eyewall of the hurricane, city and elected officials in Friendswood, Manvel and Pearland said wind-related damage to trees and fences as well as downed power lines and flooding were common throughout the county. The effects of the storms are evident for residents and businesses, too. Mike Travis, an employee of Gas Products Unlimited in Pearland, said on July 9, he ran out of propane three hours after opening. Meanwhile, officials with the Pearland Fire Department said they received several calls related to carbon monoxide poisoning. Through- out the Houston metro, Comcast data shows around 420,000 customers were disrupted, and CenterPoint Energy officials said more than 2.2 million customers lost power. As of press time at 4:34 p.m. on July 11, over 1 million customers remained without power. “This storm proved the unpredictability of hurricanes as it delivered a powerful blow across our service territory and impacted a lot of lives,” said Lynnae Wilson, senior vice president for CenterPoint Energy. Tom Overbye, who serves as the director of Texas A&M University’s Smart Grid Center and is
92 mph
infrastructure against future disasters. “I look at every one of these storms as a chance for us to review what we’ve done and try to get better at our preparation, our response,” Gleeson said. Next steps Following the hurricane, efforts quickly turned toward restoration and recovery. He said there will also be an investigation with the PUCT to figure out what went wrong. Overbye said when lines are built, they are meant to be able to withstand 110 mph winds, which Beryl did not bring. On July 8, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Texas that will provide local and state officials with federal assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures, according to a July 9 news release from the Texas Division of Emergency Management. As cleanup efforts begin, debris removal will be key in returning to recovery efforts, TDEM Chief Nim Kidd said during a July 9 news confer- ence. The emergency declaration will grant 75% reimbursement for debris cleanup for affected counties, he said. “The work is not finished yet; we are all in this together,” Davis said. “We have made it this far, and we will make it the rest of the way.”
Historical two-day rainfall averages
Pearland-Friendswood area
Hobby Airport
9.24 in.
Hurricane Beryl (July 8)
5.5 in.
34.43 in.
Hurricane Harvey (August 2017)
37.01 in.
9.3 in.*
Hurricane Ike (September 2008)
8.08 in.
*IKE RAINFALL TOTAL COMES FROM ALVIN STATION
Historical peak power outages in the Greater Houston area Hurricane Beryl (July 8)
2.2M
Derecho (Early May 2024) Hurricane Harvey (August 2017) Hurricane Ike (September 2008)
930,000
Outages during Harvey totaled 1M
270,000
2.2M
SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY, CITY OF HOUSTON, CENTERPOINT ENERGY, ACCUWEATHER, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION
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