Hurricane Beryl initially made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in south-east Texas. With rains and howling winds, the storm caused huge damage resulted in the deaths of three people, disrupted oil production and left millions without power.
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At least four people have died in Texas with the Houston Chronicle reporting a higher toll of seven deaths in Harris and Montgomery counties.
Nearly three million Texans were left without power with power outage confirming 2.6 million customers affected as of Monday night.
Houston, a low-lying coastal city prone to flooding faced impacts. Sustained wind speeds reached 75 mph with gusts up to 87 mph.
Hurricane Beryl caused power outages, toppled trees and led to numerous rescues from floodwaters. Over 1,100 flights were canceled at Houston’s main airport on Monday.
Fatalities include a 53-year-old man killed by a fallen tree, a 73-year-old woman, Maria Loredo and a 54-year-old Houston Police Department employee, Russell Richardson.
Additional deaths occurred due to a house fire and falling trees in Montgomery County.
Hurricane Beryl caused at least 10 deaths in the Caribbean and one in Louisiana. The storm affected areas in Jamaica, Mexico and other parts of the Caribbean.
The National Weather Service warned of destructive winds, heavy rainfall up to 15 inches and life-threatening storm surges.
Potential tornadoes were forecasted for Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and later states including Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
Over 2,500 emergency responders including the Texas National Guard were mobilized. Restoration of power was prioritized for critical facilities like nursing homes.
Hurricane Beryl knocked out power for nearly three million people in Texas with major outages in Houston where more than 2 million homes and businesses were affected.
Authorities warned that power restoration could take several days due to the damage to transmission lines and downed trees.
Houston experienced severe flooding that lead to multiple water rescues. The city’s low-lying areas and already saturated ground from previous storms exacerbated the flooding situation.
Emergency crews conducted rescues including saving a man trapped on the roof of his truck in fast-flowing waters.
Hurricane Beryl led to several deaths including those of a 53-year-old man and 73-year-old Maria Loredo in Harris County. Loredo’s family narrowly escaped injury.
Russell Richardson, a Houston Police Department employee drowned attempting to drive through high water.
Additional deaths in Montgomery County included a man crushed by a fallen tree and two homeless individuals killed when a tree fell on their tent.
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Hurricane Beryl’s earlier path through the Caribbean resulted in at least 10 deaths and damage in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Jamaica.
In Louisiana, a woman was killed by a fallen tree in Benton with heavy rainfall and tornado warnings complicating rescue efforts.
Hurricane Beryl began as a Category 5 hurricane in the Caribbean, causing 11 fatalities. It downgraded to a Category 2 before hitting Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Strengthened back to a Category 1 hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall in Texas near Matagorda.
Approached Texas with sustained winds of 75 mph, moving northwest at 10 mph. Made landfall approximately 95 miles south of Houston. Weakened to a tropical storm and then to a tropical depression as it moved inland.
Over 2.5 million homes and businesses were left without power. The outages were by falling trees and flooded roadways.
Oil-refining activity slowed and some production sites were evacuated. Major oil-shipping ports including Corpus Christi, Galveston and Houston were closed, disrupting crude oil exports and shipments.
Up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain fell in some areas were leading to flash floods. Numerous roads were blocked by fallen trees and major freeways in Houston were impassable. The city of Houston took preventive measures by barricading flooded areas.
A gas station roof in Edna, Texas was damaged. Crews conducted rescue operations including saving a man trapped in a truck on a flooded freeway.
Texas officials expressed concern over the low number of evacuations. More than 120 counties were under a disaster declaration. Schools closed and airlines canceled over 1,300 flights.
A tornado watch covered over 7 million people. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of life-threatening storm surges and heavy rainfall.
Hurricane Beryl is the 109th tropical system to make landfall in Texas since 1850. Previous storms include Hurricane Nicholas in 2021 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
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