Hurricane Beulah, 1967

"I have, unfortunately, had to observe a good many disasters of this and other natures--hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, and so forth--since I have been President. I have never seen one where the people were more cooperative and more understanding of the problem confronting them…We are sorry this had to happen, but we are thankful that we have lost as few lives as we have."

- President Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1967, after inspection of damage from Hurricane Beulah

Hurricane Beulah reached South Texas on September 20, 1967, causing major flooding and producing tornadoes across the state. Both Texas and Mexico sustained massive damage, with 200,000 people left homeless, over 40 dead, and 1 billion dollars in total damage.

At the time it struck the Texas coast, the hurricane was “true Texas-size” (It Happened in Texas), approximately 650 miles in diameter with winds over 130 mph. A slow moving storm, some areas of South Texas battled heavy rains and winds for two days. Ultimately, Beulah became the third-largest hurricane of the 20th century.

President Lyndon Johnson surveyed the damage caused to his home state by the hurricane and declared 24 counties in Texas a disaster area. Shortly after on October 4th, Hurricane Fern made landfall in Tampico, Mexico. Although it had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached land, Fern caused further damage in northeastern Mexico and the Gulf region of Texas already devastated by Beulah.