Ishika Samant

Amid a heavily anticipated 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, predicted to have an 85 percent chance of being above normal, anxiety grew as storms formed over the Atlantic. Among them was the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane and only the second such storm to occur in July. After weakening to a tropical storm over the Yucatán Peninsula, the system entered the Gulf of Mexico, gradually reorganizing into a Category 1 hurricane. It made its final landfall near Matagorda, Texas, on July 8, leaving residents bracing for the season ahead.

Pre-storm anxiety gripped the state as residents rushed to stock up on essential supplies, leaving store shelves bare. Grocery stores across the region began imposing purchase limits on key items days before the storm’s arrival, aiming to manage demand and ensure availability for as many customers as possible.

In the early morning hours after the storm, neighbors took to the streets to clear debris from their yards and unblock clogged sewers. For residents, navigating flooded streets was a familiar ordeal, a recurring challenge in the wake of severe weather.

The challenge with July storms near the Gulf is their relentless pace—just as recovery begins, new waves of rain often pass. In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, landscapers, utility line workers, and residents worked through subsequent storms to keep the city running.

One of the biggest impacts of Hurricane Beryl was the widespread power outage that left 87 percent of Houston in the dark. The storm caused an estimated $1.2 billion in damage to the region's energy infrastructure, leaving residents without electricity for weeks. Those with generators managed to power essential items, but most were left frustrated as they faced spoiled food, inoperable air conditioning systems, and a lack of lighting during the sweltering Texas summer.