Hurricane Beryl: Category Two Storm Makes Landslide in Texas

Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas with winds of 80mph (129 km/h), with officials warning of a “life-threatening” storm surge.

Forecasters say the two storms will bring damaging winds and up to 15in (38cm) of rain. The city of Galveston, southeast of Houston, has issued a voluntary evacuation order for some areas.

The state governor’s office has repeatedly urged people not to underestimate the storm as oil ports are closed and flight schedules are disrupted.

Beryl caused at least 10 deaths It was downgraded to a tropical storm in the Caribbean as it hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

It was later upgraded again, and more than a million Texans were placed under a tornado warning as it approached.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported wind gusts of 70 mph (110 km/h) early Monday morning.

“Life-threatening storm surge and strong winds with significant flash and urban flooding are expected,” the NHC warned on Monday.

Although not as strong as the hurricane in the Caribbean, officials say it could cause widespread power outages and disruptions as far away as Houston, Texas.

Michael Brennan, director of the US National Hurricane Center, warned residents in Beryl’s path to seek shelter until Monday because “dangerous conditions will continue even after Beryl’s center has moved.”

“There is a risk of flash flooding across the Texas Gulf Coast, East Texas, and the ArchaTexas. [Arkansas-Texas] region.

“Don’t ignore this very serious storm,” urged Acting Governor Dan Patrick.

The ports of Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City are all closed, meaning shipments may be temporarily halted.

All shipping and cargo operations are restricted.

Refugio County, north of Galveston, issued a mandatory evacuation on Saturday — citing the limited capacity of emergency service workers, July 4 holiday traffic and the area’s weakened infrastructure from 2017’s Hurricane Harvey.

Nueces County, meanwhile, ordered the mandatory evacuation of visitors and strongly encouraged locals to evacuate as well.

More than 2,000 emergency responders are ready to deal with the aftermath of Beryl, Mr. Patrick announced, including members of the Texas National Guard.

According to AccuWeather, a US forecaster, such landfalling tornadoes are rare in Texas in July.

Beryl is expected to move into central US states, including Mississippi, later in the week.

Storm Beryl has become an unprecedented storm. At one point, it became the first category five hurricane ever recorded.

It has already left a path of devastation across the Caribbean – hitting islands including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mariehamn and Union and Grenada.

The storm was one of the most powerful to hit Jamaica and left hundreds of thousands of people without power.

Beryl brought heavy rain to the tourist areas of Cancun and Tulum in southern Mexico. There was no major damage, but the strong winds caused power outages and uprooted trees.

Although it is difficult to attribute specific storms to climate change, the causes are complex, with exceptionally high sea surface temperatures thought to be a major reason why Hurricane Beryl is so powerful.

This is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, but the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned that the North Atlantic could get seven major hurricanes this year – an average of three hurricanes a season.