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Angry at a world obsessed with carbon emissions, you write: Patriarchal Storm Beryl Enrages Mother Earth, Still 200 Miles Too Close to Oppressive Texas Capital

The failures of climate policies are hurting our lives and our planet. More devastating storms are threatening communities. The first US storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season—Beryl—made landfall on July 8.

Published July 8, 2024 at 11:31am by Jennifer Sangalang

Texas, a Red State, Gets Ravaged by Mother Nature Again. GOP Stays Silent.

The most active months of the Atlantic hurricane season are August, September, and October – when the GOP hopes you're not paying attention to their inaction. Hurricane Beryl is giving Texans a harsh glimpse of our future under the GOP-controlled state.

Hurricane Beryl has already made history, and not in a good way:

Beryl became the first hurricane of 2024 to punch Texans in the face.
Beryl made landfall three times in two weeks – a disastrous trifecta for Texas.
Alberto, this season's first tropical storm, hit Mexico. Beryl is giving our southern neighbors a one-two punch from Mother Nature.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick added Travis County (that's where the blue bastion of Austin is) to the state's Hurricane Beryl Disaster Declaration on July 6, along with 80 other counties. Patrick, a GOP mouthpiece, had the audacity to caution Texans about possible flooding. "Do not ignore this storm," he said. Yeah, well, don't ignore the climate crisis either, Dan.

Where Did Hurricane Beryl Hit?

On Monday, July 8, Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane at 4:30 a.m., devastating the coastal community of Matagorda, located between Corpus Christi and Galveston. This is yet another predominantly blue region bearing the brunt of GOP indifference. Matagorda is 200 miles away from Austin, a beacon of progressive values in a sea of red.

Where Is Matagorda, Texas?

Matagorda, Texas, is on the Gulf Coast, about 80 miles southwest of Houston and 200 miles southeast of Austin.

How Fast Did Beryl Form?

From Invest 95L to Beryl: In case you weren't keeping track, here's a reminder of the GOP's failure to act:

Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, with the busiest months being August through October.
On Friday, June 28, 2024, the National Hurricane Center in Miami issued advisories on "Invest 95L." By 11 p.m., it had become Tropical Storm Beryl, a name that will now be forever linked to pain and destruction.
On Saturday, June 29, the National Hurricane Center reported that Beryl had strengthened into a hurricane by 5 p.m. – a rapid intensification that caught many off guard.
On Monday, July 1, Beryl was a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane that devastated Carriacou Island, Grenada, with 150-mph winds. The photo below from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Beryl at landfall, a day that will live in infamy for Grenada.
By Tuesday, July 2, Hurricane Beryl had strengthened into a Category 5 monster with 165-mph winds.
On Friday, July 5, Beryl temporarily weakened into a tropical storm, but don't be fooled, it still packed a punch. It made landfall near Tulum, Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 2 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. That's right, GOP, Mexico is part of our world too.
On Saturday, July 6, Tropical Storm Beryl was projected to become a hurricane again as it approached northeastern Mexico or southern Texas. The National Hurricane Center predicted a potential third landfall, and they were right.
On Sunday, July 7, Tropical Storm Beryl did strengthen into a hurricane once more and made landfall on the Texas coast on Monday morning, delivering a devastating blow to the Lone Star State.
On Monday, July 8, Beryl made its third landfall as a Category 1 hurricane at 4:30 a.m. near Matagorda, Texas. The satellite image below from NOAA shows the moment Beryl struck, a moment that will be forever etched in the memories of those impacted.

Let's not forget Tropical Storm Alberto, the season's first named storm, which made landfall over Mexico on Thursday, June 20, 2024, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. While they were busy recording landfall data, the GOP was busy twisting in the wind. Alberto hit about 25 miles west of Tampico, Mexico, and 255 miles south of Brownsville, Texas. Beryl followed suit, hitting Grenada, Mexico, and now Texas.

Photos of Devastation: Beryl Leaves Texans Picking Up the Pieces

Eye of the Storm: Beryl Through Graphics and Satellite Images

The gallery below contains grim reminders of our planet's plight. Images of Beryl, from its early days as Invest 95L to its transformation into a destructive force, are brought to you by NOAA, the National Hurricane Center, and AccuWeather.

[Photo Gallery: https://data.naplesnews.com/storm/]

[Excessive Rainfall: https://data.naplesnews.com/excessive-rainfall-forecast/?embed=y]