Texas EOC Ready Ahead of Hurricane Beryl Landfall

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(TNS) – Texas’ emergency operations center escalated its readiness level Friday morning as Hurricane Beryl barreled over the Yucatan Peninsula and was forecasted to potentially land in Texas early next week.

Gov. Greg Abbott directed the State Emergency Operations Center increase its readiness level, beginning 10 a.m. Friday, according to a news release.

“Texas is prepared to quickly deploy all available emergency response resources to assist at-risk communities,” Abbott said in a statement. “As Texans and visitors around the south coastal areas begin to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, I urge them to make an emergency plan, review hurricane evacuation routes and continue to monitor weather conditions to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones.”

Beryl left a trail of destruction after it made landfall as a powerful category 4 hurricane on July 1, sweeping through Grenada’s Carriacou Island, the southern Windward Islands, Jamaica, the Caribbean and the Cayman Islands. The hurricane has already claimed at least six lives in the Caribbean.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management increased the emergency operations center’s readiness to level II, signifying the potential severity of Hurricane Beryl’s impact on Texas.

“Texas continues to closely monitor weather conditions to protect the safety and well-being of Texans,” Abbott said.

Earlier this week, 39 Texas Emergency Management Council agencies received an advisory notice to prepare to “support hurricane response and recovery efforts” and “develop 4/7 staffing plans” for the State Emergency Operations Center in the event Hurricane Beryl hits the Gulf Coast.

The following agencies have been prepped for potential deployment:

— Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service ( Texas A&M Task Force 1): Up to 200 Search and Rescue Personnel, including Urban Search & Rescue Teams and Boat Squads

— Texas A&M Forest Service: Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) All-Hazard Incident Strike Teams

— Texas National Guard: Up to 1,000 National Guard Personnel, including High Profile Vehicles and Helicopters

— Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, Tactical Marine Unit, and Aircraft

— Texas Department of State Health Services (Emergency Medical Task Force): Medical Incident Support Teams, severe weather packages

— Texas Department of Transportation: Highway maintenance personnel, and personnel to monitor roadway conditions

Abbott says more resources “will remain on standby to be deployed as the forecast materializes and conditions warrant.”