Prepare for impact – State and Austin County officials advise residents to prepare for Hurricane Beryl

Tropical storm season is in full swing, with Hurricane Beryl officially making landfall in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday morning, July 6.

With multiple reports indicating the hurricane is expected to hit Texas early Monday morning, July 8, here’s how the state and Austin County are advising families to prepare and what steps to take throughout the storm.

In a press release from Austin, Acting Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that 81 counties have been added to the state’s “Hurricane Beryl Disaster Declaration,” which included Austin County.

“As Hurricane Beryl approaches the Gulf Coast,” Patrick said, “Today will be the last day for Texans to prepare for the coming storm. Beryl is a determined storm, and the incoming winds and potential flooding will pose a serious threat to Texans in its path as Beryl makes landfall and as it moves across the state over the next 24 hours. As Acting Governor, I have been in constant communication with Texas state agencies and local leaders to coordinate preparations and response, and I will continue to do so. Do not ignore this storm.”

Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to intensify as it moves northwest across the Gulf of Mexico before turning north to make landfall along the central Texas coast as a hurricane on Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The State of Texas has more than 2,000 responders and 850 resources deployed to support the state’s response to the anticipated impacts of Hurricane Beryl. The following state emergency response resources have been deployed to support response operations:

· Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2): Search and rescue personnel and whitewater boat squadrons.

· Texas A&M Technical Extension Service: Texas A&M Public Works Response Team.

· Texas A&M Forest Service: Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) All-hazards incident response teams, including personnel and fire trucks.

· Texas National Guard: National Guard personnel, including large-scale vehicles and Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters.

· Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol troopers, Marine Tactical Unit, and helicopters with lift capabilities.

· Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game wardens and park police are to provide support to law enforcement, along with whitewater boats, airboats, flat-bottom boats, four-wheel drive vehicles and helicopters.

· Texas Department of State Health Services (Emergency Medical Task Force): Medical incident support teams and severe weather packages, including ambulances, paramedics and command vehicles.

· Texas Department of Transportation: Highway maintenance personnel and personnel responsible for monitoring road conditions.

· Texas Animal Health Commission: Staff responsible for providing livestock support.

· Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster assessment and recovery agents as well as AgriLife extension agents to support agriculture and livestock needs.

· Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring potential cyber threats and impacts to technology infrastructure.

· Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air, Water, and Wastewater Monitoring

· Texas Railroad Commission: Oversees the state’s natural gas supply and communicates with the oil and gas industry.

· Texas Public Utilities Commission: Staff responsible for coordinating activities with utility providers throughout the threat area.

· Texas Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster: Coordination of volunteer organizations in affected areas.

· FEMA Region 6: More than 100 personnel, 500,000 ready-to-eat meals, 800,000 liters of water, 20,000 tarps, 2,500 rolls of plastic sheeting, generators, urban search and rescue teams, tractor-trailers, communications and command vehicles.

Austin County Emergency Services, the organization responsible for natural disaster management in the county, posted on its Facebook page Saturday evening, July 6, informing residents of the potential arrival of the hurricane, what to expect, tips for residents, ways to prepare and wind speed estimates.

“As most of you know, Hurricane Beryl is officially in the Gulf of Mexico and headed our way,” the message said. “We are monitoring the situation and are forecasting landfall near Port Lavaca at 92 MPH on Monday around 10am to 1pm. The eye of the hurricane is headed toward Austin County with sustained winds of 40 mph. The storm forecast is for estimated sustained winds of 90 mph, which will decrease before reaching Austin County. Estimated wind gusts are forecast to be between 70 and 85 MPH in Austin County. Please be prepared and ready, i.e. food, water, medicine, and other necessary items before the storm reaches Austin County. Please stay with friends and family if possible. Road conditions and fallen trees will be problematic; Again, this damage affects you, and it affects emergency responders as well. Just so you know, major traffic areas will be cleared first, followed by secondary roads, and so on. Finally, electricity has also become an issue; if you have a generator, make sure it’s working. If not, be prepared to be without power for several days.