- Hurricane Beryl Strikes made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 storm, bringing destructive winds and heavy rain
- The storm prompted closures of oil ports, flight cancellations, and evacuation orders in some areas
- Beryl is expected to cause considerable flash and urban flooding, with rainfall projections up to 15 inches
- Before Texas, Beryl caused destruction in the Caribbean and became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record
- Climate change is a factor in the rapid intensification of storms like Beryl due to warmer ocean temperatures
A powerful hurricane named Beryl has struck Texas. The storm hit land with wind gusts up to 87 mph (140 km/h). Authorities warn of dangerous flooding.
Beryl is a category one hurricane. It could bring destructive winds and up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain. In one suburb near Houston, police had to rescue people from floodwaters on Monday morning.
The state governor urged residents to take the storm seriously. Oil ports closed and many flights were canceled due to Beryl.
Before reaching Texas, Beryl caused at least 10 deaths in the Caribbean. The storm weakened to a tropical storm when it hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
But Beryl regained strength. Over one million Texans were warned to prepare for a hurricane.
The city of Galveston, near Houston, told some residents to evacuate certain areas.
Around 7:00 a.m. local time, over 150,000 customers in Texas lost power, according to poweroutage.us. However, the energy company CenterPoint said over one million customers faced outages.
At Houston’s biggest airport, Bush Intercontinental, 973 flights were canceled, flightaware.com reported.
Early Monday, the National Hurricane Center said Beryl had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). They warned of “life-threatening storm surge and strong winds” along with “considerable flash and urban flooding.”
The hurricane might not be as powerful as it was in the Caribbean, but officials warn it could still cause widespread power outages and disruptions in Texas, reaching as far inland as Houston.
Michael Brennan, the director of the US National Hurricane Center, has advised those in Beryl’s path to find a safe place until Monday. He said, “Hazardous conditions will persist even after the center of Beryl moves through.”
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Brennan cautioned, “There’s a significant risk of flash flooding across the Texas Gulf Coast, eastern Texas, and the ArkaTex (Arkansas-Texas) region. Do not ignore this very serious storm.”
Acting Governor Dan Patrick urged, “Do not ignore this very serious storm.”
The ports of Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, Freeport, and Texas City have closed, which could temporarily halt exports. All vessel movement and cargo operations have been restricted.
On Saturday, Refugio County, north of Galveston, issued a mandatory evacuation. They cited limited emergency services staff, July 4th holiday traffic, and weakened infrastructure from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 as reasons.
Nueces County also ordered the mandatory evacuation of visitors and strongly encouraged locals to leave.
Mr. Patrick announced that over 2,000 emergency responders, including members of the Texas National Guard, have been prepared to deal with Beryl’s aftermath.
According to the US forecaster AccuWeather, hurricanes making landfall in Texas in July are somewhat rare.
Beryl, a powerful hurricane, is expected to move eastward across the central states of America, including Mississippi, later this week. This storm has already caused widespread destruction in the Caribbean region.
As Beryl continues its path, it is likely to skip over central and western Texas. These areas are currently experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions.
Hurricane Beryl has devastated several Caribbean islands, including Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The storm has been unprecedented, becoming the earliest Category Five hurricane ever recorded.
What has made Hurricane Beryl so remarkable and destructive?
Beryl has left a trail of devastation across the Caribbean, hitting islands like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mayreau, Union, and Grenada particularly hard. It was also one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike Jamaica, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.
The storm brought heavy rain to the popular tourist destinations of Cancún and Tulum in southern Mexico. While no major damage was reported, high winds toppled trees and caused power outages in these areas.
Hurricane Beryl reached Texas.
— Trending News (@Trend_War_Newss) July 8, 2024
The central Texas coast is experiencing severe weather due to Hurricane Beryl. Residents of Matagorda were the first to feel the rain and strong winds – up to 35 m/s.
Beryl moves deeper into the state. pic.twitter.com/zxRH6ZKVGv
While it is difficult to directly attribute specific storms to climate change due to the complex nature of the causes, exceptionally high sea surface temperatures are considered a key factor contributing to Hurricane Beryl’s immense power.
Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season. However, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned that the North Atlantic could experience as many as seven major hurricanes this year, significantly higher than the average of three in a typical season.
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Last Updated on July 8, 2024 by 247 News Around The World
