WACO, Texas — Multiple Central Texas counties are included among 81 recently added to a disaster declaration ahead of Hurricane Beryl's possible landfall in Texas, announced the Texas Lieutenant Governor's Office on July 6.
According to the Lieutenant Governor's Office, Acting Governor Dan Patrick added Bell, McLennan, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Milam, Leon, Limestone, and Navarro counties, among many others, to the list as Beryl is expected to possibly make landfall on the Texas coast this weekend.
Patrick encourages Texans to make "final preparations" for the storm.
“As Hurricane Beryl approaches the Gulf Coast, today and tomorrow will be the last 2 days for Texans to make preparations for the coming storm," Patrick said in a news release. "Beryl is a determined storm, and incoming winds and potential flooding will pose a serious threat to Texans who are in Beryl’s path at landfall and as it makes its way across the state for the following 24 hours."
“Based on the current forecast, heavy rain and some localized flooding could occur all the way from the coast through areas near College Station, Tyler and Texarkana as the storm moves through Texas on its current track," Patrick continued. "The track may change over the next 40 hours. Texans need to take heed, watch their local officials and prepare today and tomorrow before the storm makes landfall early Monday morning."
“As Acting Governor, I’ve been in constant communication with Texas state agencies and local leaders to coordinate preparations and response, and I will continue to do so," Patrick said. "Do not ignore this storm.”
121 counties have now been added to the declaration, and additional counties "may be added as conditions warrant", according to Patrick. The full declaration, and the list of counties added to it, can be found at this link.
The Lieutenant Governor's Office stated the National Hurricane Center expects Tropical Storm Beryl to intensify as it moves northwest through the Gulf of Mexico, before taking a northerly turn and making landfall along the mid-Texas coast as a hurricane.
Patrick urges Texans to monitor the storm and prepare for hurricane impacts such as heavy rainfall, flooding, potential tornadoes and damaging winds as the storm moves inland.
Patrick said the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) increased the readiness level of the State Emergency Operations Center as of 10 a.m. July 5 and Texas Emergency Management Council agencies are working 24-hour operations, while also "continuing to preposition state emergency response resources that were readied for deployment" by Governor Greg Abbott on July 4.
The State of Texas currently has more than 2,000 responders and 850 assets rostered and deployed in support of the state’s response to anticipated impacts from Hurricane Beryl, according to a release from Patrick. The following state emergency response resources have been rostered and deployed to support response operations:
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 & Texas Task Force 2): Search and Rescue Personnel, and Swiftwater Boat Squads.
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service: Texas A&M Public Works Response Team.
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) All-Hazards Incident Strike Teams, including personnel and fire engines.
- Texas National Guard: National Guard Personnel, including High Profile Vehicles and Chinook & Black Hawk Helicopters.
- Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, the Tactical Marine Unit, and Helicopters with hoist capabilities.
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens and Park Police to provide law enforcement support, along with Swiftwater 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 Ambuses, Ambulances, and Command Vehicles.
- Texas Department of Transportation: Highway maintenance personnel and personnel to monitor roadway conditions.
- Texas Animal Health Commission: Personnel to provide livestock support.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as AgriLife Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs.
- Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring for potential cyber-threats and impacts to technology infrastructure.
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
- Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring the state’s natural gas supply, and communicating with the oil & gas industry.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas: Personnel to coordinate with utility providers across the threat area.
- Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: Coordinating volunteer organizations across impacted areas.
- FEMA Region 6: More than 100 personnel, 500,000 Meals Ready to Eat, 800,000 liters of Water, 20,000 Tarps, 2,500 Rolls of Plastic Sheathing, Generators, Urban Search and Rescue Teams, Tractor-Trailers, Communications and Command Vehicles.
Patrick urges Texans to stay informed, monitor local weather forecasts, follow directions from local officials, make an emergency plan, review hurricane evacuation routes, build a kit containing emergency supplies and consider reviewing flood risk and insurance coverage. Additionally, visitors to Texas beaches should review beach safety tips and remain aware of the risks of rip currents during an approaching tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico.
Texans are encouraged to visit the TDEM Disaster Portal or Texas Hurricane Center webpages for storm information. Additional storm safety and preparedness information is available at TexasReady.gov and tdem.texas.gov/prepare.
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