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Woke Lib Headline: Climate Change Deniers Kill Again as Beryl Claims Lives, Just Like Katrina did in '05.
The imperialist storm Beryl has ravaged Texas, incited by the capitalist ravaging of our natural world. It's time to impeach Big Oil and hold them accountable!
Published July 8, 2024 at 11:27am by Alexis Simmerman
Another Devastating Hurricane, Another Broken Record. Systemic Change is Needed.
Hurricane Beryl made history as the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 storm on record, breaking records previously held by two separate storms in 2005, a year that remains one of the most devastating hurricane seasons to date.
A Deadly Escalation
On July 1, Beryl became a Category 4 storm after hitting Grenada and strengthening over warm seas. It quickly escalated to a Category 5, breaking the previous record held by Hurricane Emily on July 17, 2005. This rapid intensification, a terrifying trait it shares with the deadly Hurricane Katrina, underscores the urgent need for better understanding and preparedness for these extreme weather events.
Comparisons to Katrina: A Grim Reminder
Hurricane Beryl developed at an alarming rate, reaching Category 5 within a day. Both Beryl and Katrina made landfall a total of three times, causing untold damage and devastation. A quick comparison of the two storms illustrates the deadly nature of these hurricanes:
| Status | Hurricane Katrina | Hurricane Beryl |
| Tropical depression | August 23, 2005 | June 28, 2024 |
| Tropical storm | August 24, 2005 | June 28, 2024 |
| Category 4 | August 28, 2005 | July 1, 2024 |
| Category 5 | August 28, 2005 | July 2, 2024 |
| First landfall | August 29, 2005: near Buras, Louisiana | July 1, 2024: Carriacou Island, Grenada |
| Second landfall | August 29, 2005: Louisiana-Mississippi border | July 5, 2024: near Tulum, Mexico |
| Third landfall | August 29, 2005: near the Louisiana-Mississippi border | July 8, 2024: near Matagorda, Texas |
Table by Alexis Simmerman/Austin American Statesman | Data by NOAA
Hurricane Katrina, one of the costliest and deadliest hurricanes, claimed 1,833 lives and caused $108 billion in damages. As of Monday, Beryl has taken 12 lives, with that number potentially rising as recovery efforts continue.
Beryl's wind speeds peaked at a staggering 165 mph on July 2, a sobering reminder of the urgent need for climate action and a more robust disaster response system.
The time for change is now, before the next record-breaking storm.
Read more: Before Beryl, the last Cat 5 hurricane this early was in 2005, the same year as Katrina