Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda with life-threatening storm surge and strong winds, and is expected to weaken into a tropical storm Monday and then depression Tuesday as its center moves inland.
Residents along the Texas coast began taking precautionary steps on Sunday in anticipation of a potentially catastrophic storm. They boarded up windows and stored personal possessions before an onslaught could hit.
Winds
Beryl became the earliest Atlantic storm of 2014 to reach hurricane strength, lashing the Caribbean with damaging winds and storm surge driven by record warmth. By Monday morning it had arrived on Texas coast as Category 1 hurricane with sustained wind speeds reaching 80 mph.
Beryl, currently a Category 4 hurricane, could produce storm surges up to 8 feet tall in coastal areas of south Texas and bring flooding. According to the National Weather Service, Beryl should rapidly weaken to become a tropical depression within 24 hours.
At Freeport’s marina, 64-year-old retiree Mark Richardson spent Sunday morning tying down boats and moving furniture in anticipation of an approaching storm. Richardson stressed the urgency in taking such measures now to keep everyone safe: “if you want things safe,” he advised.
At another hardware store in town, the owner reported that customers were stocking up on generators and plywood supplies in preparation of rising waters. “You just want to be prepared,” he advised.
KPRC 2 meteorologist Angie Lassman cautioned that Beryl would bring torrential rainfall and strong winds across a large portion of Texas, leading to power outages and fallen trees. A flood watch has been issued for parts of Harris County as well as nearby suburbs such as Sugar Land and Katy.
Rain
Storm outer bands brought torrential rainfall to the region, leading to flooding and poor visibility. By Sunday evening, 5 to 10 inches were expected in most locations – although isolated spots could experience even higher totals.
An aggressive storm surge, Beryl, is currently causing flooding along the Texas coast and bays, with water levels reaching 3- to 7-foot depth in some locations. Houston area residents should brace themselves as being in Beryl’s path with localized rises of 13 feet possible according to National Hurricane Center forecasting models.
Beryl made landfall near Matagorda early Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane and is projected to strengthen as it moves inland, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Wind and rain from Tropical Storm Harvey will continue to batter Texas Coast through Monday, threatening to produce tornadoes that have prompted Storm Prediction Center to issue a Tornado Watch for Greater Houston area.
The storm has already caused flooding and power outages; approximately 550,000 CenterPoint Energy customers had no power as of 6 AM; they expect restoration once the storm has passed. Officials have advised residents to avoid taking to the roads, and non-essential government employees have been instructed to work from home instead.
Storm Surge
Coastline areas near the center of Beryl have been issued hurricane and storm surge warnings with gusty winds, in order to guard against potential inundation in Matagorda, Bryan Beach and Sargent Bay, Texas coastline and bays. Beryl is expected to arrive early Monday morning.
As Beryl moves towards Texas coastlines, thousands of coastal residents and vacationers have boarded up homes and evacuated ahead of its path. Authorities warned about power outages, flooding and rip currents; Acting Gov. Dan Patrick noted at a news briefing Sunday that too few residents and vacationers in Beryl’s path had responded to pleas to leave and expressed his concerns over their safety.
Beryl could bring storm surges of up to 7 feet near its center, which is currently over water. It marks the first hurricane landfall since Dean in 2007.
Beryl could bring an unprecedented storm surge as well as torrential rainfall across East Texas, with Houston, Sugarland and other areas seeing 5-10 inches of precipitation in some locations. METRO suspended buses and METRORail service until Monday morning while city of Houston issued a flash flood watch. Forecasts predict Beryl will weaken to a tropical depression before dissipating across the lower Mississippi Valley into Ohio River Valley before weakening and dispersing altogether by Tuesday according to National Weather Service predictions.
Tornadoes
As Hurricane Beryl approached, coastal residents obeyed evacuation orders and prepared for what might come. Many boarded up their windows and packed sandbags as flood protection; others ran to grocery stores for food and water in case of power outages or other problems; the White House sent emergency responders, search and rescue teams and bottled water directly into Texas – while travel disruptions and cancellations caused by Beryl are anticipated only along the Texas coastline.
Beryl made landfall near Matagorda in southern Texas early Monday morning with “life-threatening storm surge, heavy rainfall and damaging winds”, according to the National Hurricane Center. Beryl marked the earliest Category 5 hurricane landfall since 1996 in this country.
Rainfall forecast for many areas could reach 10 inches, while flooding is possible inland. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), strong winds could also cause structural damage such as downed trees and power lines.
Beryl will bring with it hurricane-force gusts that could extend 115 miles from its center, with hurricane-force gusts predicted as it moves inland on Monday. A wide swath of SE Texas could come under tornado warning as Beryl moves inland, according to National Weather Service warnings.
