Beryl's destructive path through Texas and Louisiana — resulting in a handful of confirmed deaths, including at least one in Louisiana — has sent nervous ripples through our storm-wary state as predictions of an active hurricane season seem to be coming true already. 

But we are comforted by Gov. Jeff Landry's recent appointment of longtime Louisiana meteorologist Jay Grymes to be the Louisiana state climatologist, stepping into a role that is incredibly important for the state as it faces more extreme weather.

Grymes is a good fit for the role. He was the Louisiana state climatologist from 1991 to 2003. Grymes has also been a fixture on WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge for more than two decades, becoming the station's chief meteorologist in 2003 before announcing his retirement earlier this year. He excels in providing clear, relevant and applicable weather and climate information to both the Landry administration and the Louisiana public, which relies upon public officials, especially during emergencies.

Grymes has also served as an adjunct at the LSU AgCenter for more than 20 years, which will help in fulfilling the educational duties of the climatologist.

At the same time, his appointment marks a significant move for the role, which had previously been hely by an employee of the LSU AgCenter. Grymes will work with the AgCenter but will be an employee of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or GOHSEP. He will report directly to GOHSEP leadership and Landry.

Grymes takes over after Barry Keim was removed in early January after 19 years on the job.

Keim attributed his ouster to complaints by farmers during last year's drought, during which some agriculturalists said he was slow to update the federal drought monitor, which is produced by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Information from state climatologists is one tool used to produce the monitor. Designations from the monitor can trigger federal payments to disaster-affected farmers. AgCenter scientists estimated last year's drought cost Louisiana's farmers and forestry more than $1.6 billion. Keim will remain on LSU's faculty. 

Beyond storms, Grymes will be tasked with monitoring and archiving an array of climate data and providing crop weather information to the public and elected officials. 

During Grymes' introductory news conference, Landry said he was excited to have someone on board who could provide a "historical perspective" on climate and weather-related issues.

Grymes took the moment to issue his first advice as state climatologist, calling Beryl "a warning" and urging residents not to take hurricane season lightly. 

"This is a storm ... to use as finalizing your preps for the rest of the season," he said. 

In all honesty, we hope to see as little of Grymes as possible over the next six months. But we're confident that when he's needed, he'll tell us what we need to know.