Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas early Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane, bringing destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and dangerous storm surges to the Gulf Coast.
The storm’s impact was felt most severely in Houston and surrounding areas, causing significant disruption and damage.
Beryl hit land around 4 a.m., approximately 85 miles southwest of Houston, with sustained winds of 80 mph. The storm’s effects were immediately apparent as it knocked out power to 1.5 million homes and businesses in the Houston area, according to CenterPoint Energy.
The nation’s fourth-largest city, still recovering from recent flooding events, found itself once again under flood warnings. Streets in Houston quickly became impassable as floodwaters rose, prompting numerous high-water rescues. The Houston suburb of Rosenberg urged residents to stay off roads, reporting that even one of its high-water rescue vehicles had been hit by a falling tree.
Tragically, the storm has already claimed at least one life in Texas. In the Houston suburb of Humble, a man was killed when a tree fell on a house, trapping him beneath the debris.
Coastal areas faced additional threats from storm surge. In Galveston, video footage showed severe street flooding, while further inland, flash flood warnings were issued across a wide swath of eastern Texas.
The storm’s impact extended to air travel, with more than 1,000 flights canceled at Houston’s two airports. Local officials had called for voluntary evacuations in low-lying, flood-prone areas before the storm hit.
Despite Beryl’s relatively lower intensity compared to previous hurricanes like Harvey in 2017, its rapid intensification and early arrival in the hurricane season have raised concerns among meteorologists and residents alike.
“Beryl’s moving inland but this is not the end of the story yet,” warned Jack Beven, senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves across eastern Texas, but continued heavy rainfall and the risk of tornadoes remain significant threats.
As Texas begins to assess the damage and initiate recovery efforts, the White House has announced that FEMA has deployed emergency responders, search-and-rescue teams, and resources to the affected areas.
We are getting some the of worst of it now in Houston. Tornados sound like trains. Hurricanes growl. I just heard #Beryl growl! Not great videos for obvious reasons but look how high the pond is behind my house! #HurricaneBeryl pic.twitter.com/kNrkWFWj6T
— Just Juliet (@Juliet_Kristine) July 8, 2024
Inner eye wall of Hurricane #Beryl passing over downtown #Houston . Strongest winds yet. Gust 70+
@KPRC2 @BlakeMathews08 pic.twitter.com/QIkDNhZURI
— Trace Smith (@Trace_Smith51) July 8, 2024