Hurricane Beryl Smashes Records, Bringing Devastation and Deadly Winds

Hurricane Beryl has made history, becoming the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 storm on record. Beryl's rapid intensification broke records previously held by hurricanes from the catastrophic 2005 season.

On July 1, Beryl became a Category 4 storm, breaking Hurricane Dennis' record from July 8, 2005. Then, on July 2, Beryl strengthened into a Category 5, beating the record by over two weeks.

Comparing 2005 and 2024 Hurricanes

Hurricane Beryl draws comparisons to Hurricane Katrina, another rapidly developing storm. Both escalated from Category 4 to 5 in a day and made landfall three times.

A side-by-side comparison of the two storms illustrates their tracks and intensities:

Status	Hurricane Katrina	Hurricane Beryl
Tropical depression	Aug 23, 2005	June 28, 2024
Tropical storm	Aug 24, 2005	June 28, 2024
Category 4	Aug 28, 2005	July 1, 2024
Category 5	Aug 28, 2005	July 2, 2024
1st landfall	Aug 29, 2005: near Buras, LA	July 1, 2024: Carriacou Island, Grenada
2nd landfall	Aug 29, 2005: LA-MS border	July 5, 2024: near Tulum, Mexico
3rd landfall	Aug 29, 2005: LA-MS border	July 8, 2024: near Matagorda, TX

Table by Alexis Simmerman/Austin American-Statesman | Data by NOAA

Katrina, one of the costliest and deadliest US hurricanes, killed 1,833 people with winds up to 140 mph per the National Weather Service. As of Monday, Beryl claimed at least 13 lives, with winds peaking at 165 mph.

The record-breaking Beryl continues to leave a trail of destruction in its wake.