Hurricane Beryl Hits Texas
Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas on Monday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain that caused widespread power outages and disruption. The Category 5 hurricane made landfall near Matagorda with gusts up to 87 mph and up to 15 inches of rain, prompting warnings of "life-threatening" storm surges from the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, is expected to weaken as it moves inland. More than 1 million homes and businesses lost power, especially around Houston, where high waters quickly began to close streets. Major oil-shipping ports in Corpus Christi, Galveston, and Houston have shut down, potentially disrupting crude oil exports and refinery operations.
The storm had previously wreaked havoc in the Caribbean and Mexico, causing at least 11 deaths and extensive damage.
Acting Governor Declares 120 Counties Disaster Areas
Acting Governor Dan Patrick declared 120 counties disaster areas and warned residents to take the storm seriously. Schools closed, and over 1,300 flights were cancelled across the region.
As Beryl moves inland, it continues to bring torrential rains and damaging winds, raising concerns about flooding. In Houston, authorities are conducting water rescues in heavily flooded suburbs.
Despite the storm weakening, its impact remains severe. The NHC expects Beryl to downgrade to a tropical storm later on Monday and to a tropical depression by Tuesday. The storm's path is projected to move through eastern Texas and into the Lower Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley in the coming days.
As the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, Beryl's power was partly attributed to exceptionally high sea surface temperatures. The NHC has warned that the North Atlantic could see up to seven major hurricanes this year, reflecting a worrying trend.
