Dallas, Texas (July 3, 2024) – The Salvation Army in Texas is closely monitoring Hurricane Beryl, currently causing devastation throughout the southeastern Caribbean, as the storm could potentially impact communities in Southeast Texas and along the Gulf Coast. Salvation Army units are on standby, and Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) staff are making preparations as the powerful storm is anticipated to track to the northwest headed towards the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to possibly reach Texas after the holiday weekend.

Beryl has steadily increased in intensity becoming the earliest Category 4 Atlantic hurricane on record, finally reaching Category 5 level on July 1, another record. Devastating winds and life-threatening storm surge flooding that could reach six to nine feet above normal tide levels are possible as the storm strikes Jamaica and then moves towards the Cayman Islands and the Yucatan Peninsula. Beryl is the second named storm, after Tropical Storm Alberto, in what is forecast to be an above-average hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 in the Atlantic.

“We are praying for all in the path of Hurricane Beryl as it moves through the Caribbean as this is a very serious, life-threatening situation,” said Alvin Migues, Emergency Disaster Services Director for The Salvation Army in Texas. “We expect the storm will have lost much of its strength by the time it potentially reaches the coastline of Texas, but we will be prepared for any eventuality. Heavy rain is a distinct possibility if the storm reaches the Gulf Coast, and many communities have already experienced flooding this year. This is our main concern.”

The Salvation Army EDS team remains in contact with the State Operations Center. If a Texas landfall is eminent on Sunday or Monday, an Incident Management Team will stage in San Antonio prepared to manage any related response efforts.

“We have our staff and trained disaster volunteers on standby along with Salvation Army mobile feeding units for pre-positioning as needed,” said Migues. “Each mobile feeding unit has the capacity to deliver up to 1,500 meals per day. We will be ready and prepared to serve as needed.”

For the latest information please go to www.disaster.salvationarmy.org and watch for regular updates on our social media pages at www.facebook.com/salvationarmytexas/ and www.twitter.com/salarmytx. To make a donation go www.helpsalvationarmy.org.