Nearly 2 million people were without power in the Houston area, Texas officials have said.
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The latest on Hurricane Beryl’s approach to Texas
- Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Texas early today, the National Hurricane Center said.
- Beryl hit near the coastal town of Matagorda, Texas, about 85 miles south-southwest of Houston, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
- At least three people were killed in the Houston area. The storm has killed people in Venezuela, Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the last week.
- Nearly 2 million customers are without power.
- Beryl weakened to a tropical storm after it caused havoc in the Caribbean and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, but it strengthened yesterday with the hot water of the Gulf of Mexico.
- Strengthening: Hurricane Beryl strengthened from a tropical storm back into a hurricane early Monday morning.
- Landfall: Made landfall along the Texas coast as a Category 1 storm.
- Impact: Severe weather prompted water rescues, disrupted flights, and left over 2 million people without power, causing at least two deaths.
Details of the Landfall
- Winds: Winds of over 80 mph at landfall.
- Location: Landfall around 4:30 a.m. near Matagorda, Texas, between Corpus Christi and Galveston.
- Conditions: Life-threatening storm surge, torrential rain, and wind gusts up to 84 mph in the Houston area.
- Warnings: Tornado warning issued for multiple counties, possibility of twisters from east Texas to northwest Louisiana and southwest Arkansas.
Preparations for Hurricane Beryl
- Disaster Declaration: Issued by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for 120 central and eastern counties.
- Resident Actions: Stocking up on essentials and preparing homes for the storm.
Destruction Across the Caribbean
- Previous Path: Beryl left at least 11 dead and caused severe damage in the Caribbean.
- Category 5 Status: Briefly strengthened into the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record.
- Mexico Landfall: Made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, then weakened into a tropical storm.
Current Status and Future Forecast
- Weakened State: Now weakened and forecasted to become a “remnant low” by tomorrow.
- Location: Currently 70 miles east-northeast of Tyler, Texas, moving north-northeast at 17 mph.
- Remaining Threats: Continued threat of flooding in eastern Texas, western Louisiana, and Arkansas. Possibility of tornadoes in these areas.
- Winds: Producing sustained winds of about 35 mph.
Definition and Advisory
- Remnant Low: Defined by the National Weather Service as a post-tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of less than 39 mph.
- Public Advisory: The National Hurricane Center issued its last public advisory about Hurricane Beryl, with local offices providing ongoing information.
