Galveston, TX
Galveston After Beryl: Are We Ready for the Next Big One?
When Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Texas coast in 2025, it didn’t just topple trees—it exposed deep cracks in Galveston’s preparedness. As cleanup continues, the question lingers: what if the next storm is even stronger?
Déjà Vu with Higher Stakes
Galveston has weathered hundreds of hurricanes, but Beryl arrived with a new type of intensity. Fueled by record sea surface temperatures, the storm intensified rapidly and brought winds over 120 mph. While evacuation was mostly successful, infrastructure damage was massive and widespread.
Historic neighborhoods flooded. Roads crumbled. And the seawall—Galveston’s iconic defense—showed signs of structural fatigue.
Climate Change Meets Aging Infrastructure
Beryl should be a wake-up call. Experts say rising ocean temps will make rapid-intensifying storms more common. Yet much of Galveston’s grid remains built for storms of the past, not the future.
Federal recovery funds are slow. Local planners cite outdated zoning laws. And residents worry that the next hurricane could bring irreversible damage—especially in historically underserved neighborhoods.
"We can’t afford to rely on luck. Beryl showed us we’re living on borrowed time." — Galveston city council member
Solutions Exist—But Will We Use Them?
- Update building codes to reflect 21st-century storm risks
- Invest in green infrastructure: marshes, dunes, and natural buffers
- Strengthen emergency communications and broadband for evacuations
- Fund seawall repairs and long-term resilience planning
Without political will and federal cooperation, Galveston risks falling into a cycle of reactive rebuilding instead of proactive adaptation.