Storm Beryl damage, economic loss to US estimated at $28-32 billion

LONDON (ICIS)–Total damage and economic loss in the US from Storm Beryl amounted to $28-32 billion, according to meteorology firm AccuWeather.

Beryl hit the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday, with sustained winds around 80 mph (130 km/h), intense rainfall and dangerous storm surges.

AccuWeather said its estimate included damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure, facilities, roadways and vehicles as well as power outages which results in food spoilage and interruption to medical care.

It reflects damage that has already occurred and expected damage yet to happen as Beryl, now a post-tropical cyclone, continues its path through the Midwest toward northern New England.

“The estimate also accounts for the costs of evacuations, relocations, emergency management, and the government expenses for clean-up operations,” AccuWeather said in a statement dated 9 July.

“It also includes the long-term effect on business logistics, transportation, tourism as well as the tail health effects and the medical and other expenses of yet unreported deaths and injuries.”

Last year’s Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall into the Big Bend of Florida, caused $18-20 billion in total damage and economic loss; damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022 was $180-210 billion; and Hurricane Harvey, which hit a similar area of Texas in 2017, totalled $230 billion, AccuWeather added.

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Thumbnail photo: Stranded vehicles in Houston, Texas, on 8 July. Source: CARLOS RAMIREZ/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock