by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
Hurricane Beryl broke records fueled by soaring sea temperatures
Following Hurricane Beryl, widespread and ongoing power outages are exacerbating the grave situation as temperatures soar in Texas this week.
The hurricane ripped through Texas on July 8. The calamitous storm caused at least six deaths, and approximately 2.7 million customers were left without electricity. As of Tuesday morning, more than 2.2 million people remained without power. Authorities warn that the blackouts could persist for days to weeks, leaving residents without air conditioning amidst triple-digit heat indices.
“The lack of proper cooling, combined with many people outdoors cleaning up after Beryl, could produce dangerous heat conditions,” the National Weather Service (NWS) stated this morning.
Public Utility Commission of Texas chairman Thomas Gleeson mentioned in a press conference yesterday that it could take “a few days” to restore power, with some areas in hard-hit Galveston potentially remaining without electricity for up to two weeks.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, power outages in the US have grown longer over the past decade, mainly due to “major events” like hurricanes and winter storms.
These prolonged blackouts heighten the risk of heat-related illnesses and deaths, especially as rising global temperatures, driven by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, lead to more frequent and intense heat waves. Higher temperatures also intensify storms, which gain strength from heat energy at the sea surface.
Beryl’s impact is a grim indicator of what’s predicted to be a severe Atlantic hurricane season this year. Though the storm has weakened, it is expected to remain “a prolific heavy rain producer” as it moves northeast this week, according to the NWS.
Source: Black Enterprise
