Hurricane Beryl made a direct hit on Tulum, Mexico, as a Category 2 storm on the morning of July 5, and caused extensive damage to a wide swath of the Yucatan Peninsula. The area is known as the “Mayan Riviera” as a favorite tourist destination. Before the storm hit, the Mexican government brought 13,000 soldiers into the area to be ready for cleanup as soon as the storm passed. By that afternoon Mexican authorities were draining flooded streets, clearing debris, and restoring power. Within 24 hours after the storm moved out of the region, all major roads were clear, water service was restored, and electrical power “normalized.” About 30 hours after the storm hit, two cruise ships with 7,000 tourists were confident enough to dock at the nearby island of Cozumel. Things are not perfect, but there were no deaths, and life is returning to normal.
The same Hurricane Beryl hit Houston as a Category 1 storm, yet 72 hours later, 1.7 million homes and businesses were still without electricity, and three deaths were reported in the Houston area. Texas is rich in energy, yet it has trouble keeping the lights on. With its deregulation of electricity, power plants and the distribution network are not required to meet federal standards. In February 2021 much of Texas went dark, because power plants were not required to be insulated from the cold. Texas is heavily dependent upon long-distance power lines, ten of which were knocked out by the hurricane.
