(The Center Square) – As Hurricane Beryl made its way east and a tornado ripped through east Texas, the National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana, issued the greatest number of tornado warnings in a single day for the month of July in recorded history.
On July 8, NWS Shreveport issued 67 tornado warnings across its coverage area, which includes east Texas, over an 8-hour period, saying doing so was “easily the most in a single day event.”
“Today’s weather events across our region in the wake of Hurricane Beryl’s remnants are further proof that inland tropical impacts can also be quite extreme,” it said.
The last time the greatest number of tornado warnings were issued in single day for the area was Dec. 27, 2015, of 36.
Beryl’s wake led meteorologists to issue 111 tornado warnings in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service.
An EF-2 tornado is confirmed to have torn through Jasper, Texas, Monday morning. EF-2 tornadoes sustain winds of between 111 and 135 mph.
An estimated 80 homes were damaged in one subdivision on the west side of town. In other areas, trees fell onto homes, roofs were torn off, power lines were down, a facility housing seniors was evacuated, and extensive damage was reported in the county, according to local news reports.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is meeting with officials in Jasper and Wharton counties on Wednesday after meeting with officials in Galveston County and Houston on Tuesday. He’s taking on the role of acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is in Asia on an economic development tour.
At a briefing on Tuesday, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said the county was looking at “a long recovery.” Speaking to reporters, he said, “most of you are going to be off this story by next week. We will be dealing with it for probably the next eight to 10 years.”
He also said he was grateful for federal support.
Patrick said he spoke with President Joe Biden, who authorized a federal major disaster declaration for the state. As acting governor, Patrick requested a federal emergency disaster declaration through FEMA, which will cover 75% of costs associated with debris management and emergency protective measures.
“The president granted my request,” Patrick said. “FEMA’s assistance with these costs will expedite the recovery process and help ensure the safety of Texans impacted by Hurricane Beryl.”
Patrick also met with Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Tuesday to learn of the city’s response and recovery efforts. The state is deploying 25 additional ambulances and a 250-bed medical shelter to support Houston’s EMS and hospital capacity needs among providing other resources.
Abbott issued a statement saying he was “in regular contact with” Patrick and emergency officials about the state’s ongoing response and recovery efforts.
“We also will continue to stay in contact with electrical providers about the necessity to quickly restore power,” he said as millions remain without power from Galveston through the Houston region as temperatures passed 100 degrees on Tuesday in some areas.
“The safety of Texans remains our No. 1 priority, and I urge everyone across the state to continue to heed the guidance of local officials as severe weather threats persist in the coming days. We will remain engaged around the clock until every Texan recovers.”
Texans are encouraged to report property damage through the state’s Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) at damage.tdem.texas.gov and click on “July 7th – Ongoing Hurricane/Tropical Storm Beryl.”
