Hurricane Beryl made landfall early Monday morning near Matagorda, Texas, as a Category 1 hurricane, bringing with it powerful winds, heavy rain, and a life-threatening storm surge. The storm, which had strengthened throughout Sunday evening, packed maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour as it came ashore.
As of Monday morning, over 1.2 million Texas residents were without power, with the majority of outages concentrated in the Houston area and coastal counties. Cities such as Matagorda, Galveston, Calhoun, and Jackson experienced extensive power disruptions, while inland areas like Fort Bend and Wharton also reported outages.
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The storm’s impact was felt across the state, with high waters causing street flooding in Houston and prompting numerous rescues. Over a thousand flights were canceled at Houston’s two airports, and major oil ports along the coast were closed.
While Beryl has since weakened to a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center warns of continued threats of life-threatening storm surge and inland flooding throughout Monday. The storm is expected to dump up to 10 inches of rain in some areas, raising concerns about flash flooding in Texas and Arkansas.
Residents in affected areas are urged to remain indoors and follow the guidance of local authorities. Evacuation orders were issued in some coastal communities ahead of the storm, but it is feared that not enough people heeded the warnings.
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Before reaching Texas, Beryl had already left a trail of destruction through the Caribbean, causing at least 11 deaths and significant damage in Jamaica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
As the storm continues its path inland, officials are focusing on assessing the extent of the damage and restoring essential services to affected communities. The recovery process is expected to be lengthy and challenging, with the full impact of Hurricane Beryl yet to be fully realized.
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