.gif)
Tropical Storm Beryl (2000)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Beryl was a tropical storm that formed in the Gulf of Mexico
on August 13, 2000 and dissipated over the mountains of northeastern Mexico
on August 15. Beryl was the second tropical storm of the 2000 Atlantic hurricane season
, and the first storm in 2000 to make landfall in North America
of at least tropical storm intensity.
Beryl originated from a tropical wave
near the Africa
n coast and never intensified until it reached the Bay of Campeche
were it became a tropical storm. Beryl rapidly deepened while in the Gulf of Mexico, and it initially was forecast to strengthen to a hurricane under favorable conditions for development, before making landfall near the United States–Mexico border
at that intensity. However, Beryl remained poorly organized and was not able to intensify any further. It made landfall in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas
as a weak tropical storm with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). One death was reported in Mexico due to drowning. Otherwise no significant damage was reported associated with Beryl, as it affected a sparsely populated area of Mexico.
and broke into two distinct parts, the northern portion eventually became Hurricane Alberto
. The southern portion continued to track westward into the Caribbean Sea
, while producing little or no deep convection
. The wave reached Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula
on August 12, and only then did deep convection redevelop, mostly due to diurnal heating. The wave emerged over the Bay of Campeche
early on August 13 as a large area of low pressure
. The wave was upgraded to Tropical Depression Five later that day, based on satellite intensity estimates and an observation from an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft. Six hours after developing, the depression was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane early on August 16 due to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico
and little wind shear
to inhibit development.
The tropical depression travelled to the northwest across the southwest Gulf of Mexico. It strengthened rapidly, and there was evidence of deep convection as it passed over warm waters. It was upgraded to Tropical Storm Beryl late on August 14 with surface winds of 50 mph (85 km/h), based on reconnaissance aircraft observation. Six hours later, the storm accelerated to near 9 mph (15 km/h), meaning that landfall would happen sooner than expected, preventing the time for Beryl to strengthen to a hurricane. However, Beryl failed to undergo significant intensification as was forecast, as it maintained an intensity of 50 mph (85 km/h). The lack of intensification could be due to moderate wind shear
and entrainment
over the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Beryl continued to track to the northwest toward the Rio Grande Valley
area in the southern portion of the U.S. state
of Texas
. The storm made landfall early on August 15 along the Mexican coast about 105 mi (165 km) south of Brownsville
, Texas, 35 mi (55 km) north La Pesca, Tamaulipas and about 115 mi (185 km) north of Tampico
. Beryl was downgraded to a tropical depression about five hours after landfall. The Brownsville radar showed that the circulation centre of the storm became elongated parallel to the mountain ranges of northeastern Mexico, so the system was no longer declared a tropical depression late on August 15, while located near Monterrey
.
.jpg)
The National Hurricane Centre started issuing hurricane warnings early on August 14, anticipating that Beryl would reach hurricane strength. The warnings were issued along the Texas
coast from Baffin Bay
to the United States/Mexico border. The Government of Mexico issued hurricane warnings from the borderline south to La Pesca. The hurricane warnings issued stretched for 230 miles (370 km) along the coast. Mexico also issued a tropical storm warning south of La Pesca to Tampico
. A storm surge
of 2 to 5 feet (0.6 m to 1.5 m) was expected along the coast near and to the north of Beryl’s centre. Rainfall between 5 to 10 inches (125 to 250 mm) were also expected. Thousands of residents in coastal areas of southern Texas and northern Mexico were asked to pay attention to the hurricane warnings and to move towards higher ground. The National Weather Service
warned the cities of Cameron
and Kenedy
, and Willacy County in southern Texas that severe flooding is the deadliest threat associated with the storm. In low-lying rural areas near the Rio Grande
river mouth, an estimated 20,000 residents were urged to seek shelter, as the inadequate drainage in these areas make them in danger to severe flooding. The National Weather Service also warned of possible tornado
es forming when associated with thunderstorm
s and tropical storm generated winds. Authorities in southern Texas filled 20,000 sandbags along the shores, and closed government offices. Residents nailed plywood on windows, parks were temporarily closed, and documents were transferred to waterproof storage areas.
The warnings remained in effect for twelve hours, then they were discontinued north of Port Mansfield
in Texas. The hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning in all areas between Port Mansfield southwards to Tampico. It was predicted the rains from Beryl could produce dangerous flash floods and mudslides
over the mountainous areas of Mexico. When Beryl made landfall early on August 15, all warnings were discontinued in Texas. All warnings issued in the Government of Mexico were discontinued six hours later when Beryl was downgraded to a tropical depression.
Beryl made landfall in a sparsely populated region of northeast Mexico, so no official reports of tropical storm force winds were recorded. Moisture from Beryl brought 0.8 in (20.1 mm) of rain in Corpus Christi
, Texas and 0.5 in (13.7 mm) in Brownsville, Texas in a 48-hour period between August 14 and August 16. The highest winds from these stations were no more than 28 mph (46 km/h). Cloud cover and rainfall resulted with cool high temperatures in southern Texas. Brownsville had a high temperature of 84˚F
(28.9˚C
) on August 15. This broke the record for the coolest maximum temperature in Brownsville for August 15; the previous record was 85˚F (29.4˚C) set in 1881.
In Mexico a rainfall total of 6.3 in (160 mm) within a period of 24 hours was measured in San Gabriel, Tamaulipas. Residents from two low-lying fishing villages were evacuated from the state of Tamaulipas
and taken to extemporaneous shelters at schools and a sports complex. One drowning death was reported in northeast Mexico, caused by the extensive flooding from Beryl's heavy rains. Officials declared fifteen municipalities in Tamaulipas
a disaster area
. The total damage in Mexico was estimated to be $254,000 (2000 MXN
, $27,400 2000 USD
, $34,000 2008 USD).
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
on August 13, 2000 and dissipated over the mountains of northeastern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on August 15. Beryl was the second tropical storm of the 2000 Atlantic hurricane season
2000 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2000 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season without a tropical cyclone in July since 1987. The season officially began on June 1, 2000, and lasted until November 30, 2000. The June through November dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in...
, and the first storm in 2000 to make landfall in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
of at least tropical storm intensity.
Beryl originated from a tropical wave
Tropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
near the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n coast and never intensified until it reached the Bay of Campeche
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. It was named by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Antonio de Alaminos during their expedition in 1517...
were it became a tropical storm. Beryl rapidly deepened while in the Gulf of Mexico, and it initially was forecast to strengthen to a hurricane under favorable conditions for development, before making landfall near the United States–Mexico border
United States–Mexico border
The United States–Mexico border is the international border between the United States and Mexico. It runs from Imperial Beach, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east, and traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from major...
at that intensity. However, Beryl remained poorly organized and was not able to intensify any further. It made landfall in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
as a weak tropical storm with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). One death was reported in Mexico due to drowning. Otherwise no significant damage was reported associated with Beryl, as it affected a sparsely populated area of Mexico.
Meteorological history
A tropical wave emerged from the African coast with a closed circulation on August 3. It tracked westward across the tropical waters of the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and broke into two distinct parts, the northern portion eventually became Hurricane Alberto
Hurricane Alberto (2000)
Hurricane Alberto was an Atlantic Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed on August 3, 2000 and became extratropical on August 23. Alberto was the first named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2000 Atlantic hurricane season....
. The southern portion continued to track westward into the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, while producing little or no deep convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
. The wave reached Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
on August 12, and only then did deep convection redevelop, mostly due to diurnal heating. The wave emerged over the Bay of Campeche
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. It was named by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Antonio de Alaminos during their expedition in 1517...
early on August 13 as a large area of low pressure
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
. The wave was upgraded to Tropical Depression Five later that day, based on satellite intensity estimates and an observation from an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft. Six hours after developing, the depression was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane early on August 16 due to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
and little wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
to inhibit development.
The tropical depression travelled to the northwest across the southwest Gulf of Mexico. It strengthened rapidly, and there was evidence of deep convection as it passed over warm waters. It was upgraded to Tropical Storm Beryl late on August 14 with surface winds of 50 mph (85 km/h), based on reconnaissance aircraft observation. Six hours later, the storm accelerated to near 9 mph (15 km/h), meaning that landfall would happen sooner than expected, preventing the time for Beryl to strengthen to a hurricane. However, Beryl failed to undergo significant intensification as was forecast, as it maintained an intensity of 50 mph (85 km/h). The lack of intensification could be due to moderate wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
and entrainment
Entrainment (meteorology)
Entrainment is a phenomenon of the atmosphere which occurs when a turbulent flow captures a non-turbulent flow. It is typically used to refer to the capture of a wind flow of high moisture content, or in the case of tropical cyclones, the capture of drier air....
over the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Beryl continued to track to the northwest toward the Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
area in the southern portion of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The storm made landfall early on August 15 along the Mexican coast about 105 mi (165 km) south of Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, Texas, 35 mi (55 km) north La Pesca, Tamaulipas and about 115 mi (185 km) north of Tampico
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
. Beryl was downgraded to a tropical depression about five hours after landfall. The Brownsville radar showed that the circulation centre of the storm became elongated parallel to the mountain ranges of northeastern Mexico, so the system was no longer declared a tropical depression late on August 15, while located near Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
.
Preparations
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
coast from Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
to the United States/Mexico border. The Government of Mexico issued hurricane warnings from the borderline south to La Pesca. The hurricane warnings issued stretched for 230 miles (370 km) along the coast. Mexico also issued a tropical storm warning south of La Pesca to Tampico
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
. A storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
of 2 to 5 feet (0.6 m to 1.5 m) was expected along the coast near and to the north of Beryl’s centre. Rainfall between 5 to 10 inches (125 to 250 mm) were also expected. Thousands of residents in coastal areas of southern Texas and northern Mexico were asked to pay attention to the hurricane warnings and to move towards higher ground. The National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
warned the cities of Cameron
Cameron, Texas
Cameron is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,634 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Milam County.-Geography:Cameron is located at . It is situated at the junction of U.S...
and Kenedy
Kenedy, Texas
Kenedy is a city in Karnes County, Texas, United States, named for Mifflin Kenedy, who bought and wanted to develop a new town that would carry his name...
, and Willacy County in southern Texas that severe flooding is the deadliest threat associated with the storm. In low-lying rural areas near the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
river mouth, an estimated 20,000 residents were urged to seek shelter, as the inadequate drainage in these areas make them in danger to severe flooding. The National Weather Service also warned of possible tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es forming when associated with thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s and tropical storm generated winds. Authorities in southern Texas filled 20,000 sandbags along the shores, and closed government offices. Residents nailed plywood on windows, parks were temporarily closed, and documents were transferred to waterproof storage areas.
The warnings remained in effect for twelve hours, then they were discontinued north of Port Mansfield
Port Mansfield, Texas
Port Mansfield is a census-designated place in Willacy County, Texas, United States. The population was 415 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Port Mansfield is located at ....
in Texas. The hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning in all areas between Port Mansfield southwards to Tampico. It was predicted the rains from Beryl could produce dangerous flash floods and mudslides
Mudflow
A mudslide is the most rapid and fluid type of downhill mass wasting. It is a rapid movement of a large mass of mud formed from loose soil and water. Similar terms are mudflow, mud stream, debris flow A mudslide is the most rapid (up to 80 km/h, or 50 mph) and fluid type of downhill mass...
over the mountainous areas of Mexico. When Beryl made landfall early on August 15, all warnings were discontinued in Texas. All warnings issued in the Government of Mexico were discontinued six hours later when Beryl was downgraded to a tropical depression.
Impact
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, Texas and 0.5 in (13.7 mm) in Brownsville, Texas in a 48-hour period between August 14 and August 16. The highest winds from these stations were no more than 28 mph (46 km/h). Cloud cover and rainfall resulted with cool high temperatures in southern Texas. Brownsville had a high temperature of 84˚F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
(28.9˚C
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
) on August 15. This broke the record for the coolest maximum temperature in Brownsville for August 15; the previous record was 85˚F (29.4˚C) set in 1881.
In Mexico a rainfall total of 6.3 in (160 mm) within a period of 24 hours was measured in San Gabriel, Tamaulipas. Residents from two low-lying fishing villages were evacuated from the state of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
and taken to extemporaneous shelters at schools and a sports complex. One drowning death was reported in northeast Mexico, caused by the extensive flooding from Beryl's heavy rains. Officials declared fifteen municipalities in Tamaulipas
Municipalities of Tamaulipas
The Mexican state of Tamaulipas is divided into 43 municipalities...
a disaster area
Disaster area
A disaster area is a region or a locale heavily damaged by either natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, technological hazards including nuclear and radiation accidents, or sociological hazards like riots, terrorism or war. The population living there often...
. The total damage in Mexico was estimated to be $254,000 (2000 MXN
Mexican peso
The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...
, $27,400 2000 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, $34,000 2008 USD).
See also
- Other storms of the same name
