Critical to Get Ready Now as Beryl Heads for Possible U.S. Landfall

Hurricane Beryl, a dangerously strong storm, is leaving terrible devastation behind on multiple Caribbean islands as forecast maps show the storm nearing Texas early next week.

The American Red Cross is ready to respond with disaster teams and relief supplies deploying over the holiday weekend to potential impact areas. Anyone in Beryl’s possible path should get ready now. Remember, communities hundreds of miles inland can be affected by intense rainfall and high winds.

Berly is the earliest a storm this strong has formed in the Atlantic Ocean with sustained 145 mph winds. Beryl is also the earliest major Atlantic hurricane in 58 years, breaking a record set by Hurricane Dennis in 2005 ─ the same year Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast.

These undesirable records and the strength of this storm are being linked to the climate crisis. Such warm ocean temperatures aren’t usually seen until the peak of hurricane season in September and are a critical factor in helping feed tropical storm systems. ¹

HOW TO PREPARE FOR BERYL:

1. Make a plan to stay safe and know how you’ll stay connected.

• You may need to stay where you are or go somewhere else to stay safe. If leaving, think about where you will go, how you will get there, where you will stay and what you’ll take with you. Plan well in advance if you’ll need help leaving or use public transportation. Don’t forget to include pets in your plans.
• Write down important phone numbers on a contact card and carry it with you to reconnect with loved ones if you are separated or if the phone or internet is down.
• In case the power goes out, have a backup battery or another way to charge your cell phone, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.
• Sign up for free emergency alerts from your local government and know what different types of alerts mean. For example, a WATCH means be prepared, and a WARNING means take action.

2. Gather critical supplies and organize them into a go-kit and a stay-at-home kit.

• Your go-kit should include three days of supplies that you can carry with you. Include backup batteries and chargers for your devices (cell phone, CPAP, wheelchair, etc.)

• Your stay-at-home kit should have two weeks of food and water, and, if possible, a one-month supply of medications and medical supplies.

• Customize your kit to meet your household’s specific needs, for instance if you have children or pets.

• Keep personal, financial and medical records safe and easy to access (hard copies or securely backed up). Consider keeping a list of your medications and dosages on a small card to carry with you.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

This is a difficult time for everyone who may be impacted by this storm, especially if you’ve dealt with hurricanes before. Remember that it's okay to feel nervous or drained.

• Be patient with yourself and those around you.

• Stay informed but limit your exposure to television, radio and newspaper accounts of the storm.

• Stay connected with family and friends.

• Overwhelmed? Set priorities for yourself and break tasks into small steps that are easier to tackle.

• Eat healthy, drink water and get enough rest.

• If you or a loved one needs help, reach out through the Disaster Distress Helpline for free 24/7 multilingual support by calling or texting 1-800-985-5990.

• Children may need more attention and reassurance. Give them opportunities to talk and encourage them to discuss their fears and concerns.

Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) Through the generosity of our American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder members, the American Red Cross is prepared before disaster strikes. ADGP and Disaster Responder members help secure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that enables the Red Cross to respond immediately, meeting the needs of individuals and families affected by disaster, regardless of cost.

ADGP $1M Members: Amazon; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Bank of America; Caterpillar Foundation; CMA CGM Foundation; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Elevance Health Foundation; Enterprise Mobility Foundation; FedEx; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; McDonald’s Corporation; Merck; Microsoft; Nationwide Foundation; The Pfizer Foundation; The Starbucks Foundation; State Farm; Takeda; Truist Foundation; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; Wells Fargo

ADGP $500k Members: Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Bread Financial; Capital One; Chick-fil-A; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; DHL Supply Chain; DraftKings; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Motor Company Fund; Fox Corporation; General Motors; Google.org; HCA Healthcare; The Home Depot Foundation; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; Kaiser Permanente; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Mastercard; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Paul Davis Restoration; PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; PetSmart Charities; Salesforce; Southeastern Grocers Gives Foundation & Southeastern Grocers, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie; Stryker; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; U.S. Bank Foundation; Visa Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; The Wawa Foundation; Wesco

Disaster Responder Members: The 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe; The AES Corporation; ALDI; American Tire Distributors; American Water Charitable Foundation; Ameriprise Financial; Assurant; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Bath & Body Works; Big 5 Sporting Goods; Build-A-Bear Foundation; CarMax; CDW; Charles Schwab Foundation; Choice Hotels International; Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Foundation; The Deluxe Foundation; The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Discover; Dollar General; Dollar Tree and Family Dollar; Duke Energy; Equitable; FirstEnergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; International Paper; Invitation Homes; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; L’Oréal; The Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo Foundation; LHC Group; LKQ; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Macy’s, Inc.; Major League Baseball; Marathon Petroleum Corporation; Martin Marietta; Masco; Mattress Firm; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; The Middleby Corporation; Neiman Marcus Group; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Norfolk Southern; Northrop Grumman Foundation; Northwestern Mutual; Novartis; Old Dominion Freight Line; Pacific Life Foundation; Phillips 66; Prudential; Raymond James; RBC Foundation USA; Reckitt; Reliance, Inc.; Reynolds American Inc.; RTX; Ryder System, Inc.; Santander; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Southwest Airlines; Stanley Black & Decker; Tata Consultancy Services; U-Haul International; Ulta Beauty; U.S. Foods; Yum! Brands; Zurich.

1 Time Magazine