Category 1 Beryl Hits Texas, Causing Major Flooding and 2 Million Power Outages

Jul 8, 2024, 03:00 PM

Tropical Storm Beryl, which re-intensified into a Category 1 hurricane overnight, made landfall along the Texas coast near Matagorda. Initially a Category 2 storm, Beryl brought damaging wind gusts up to 92 miles per hour, heavy rains, and a life-threatening storm surge. As Beryl moved inland, it caused significant flooding and power outages, affecting up to 2 million people in the Houston area. A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Texas, including the Houston metro area, until 10 AM CDT. The storm is expected to dump up to 10 inches of rain on the eastern coast of Texas and potentially more inland. A tornado warning is in effect for Fred, Spurger, and Magnolia Springs, Texas until 10:30 AM CDT. Tragically, a Texas man died after a tree fell on his house during the storm. Beryl has since weakened to a tropical storm but continues to pose a threat with flash flooding expected as far north as Arkansas and Louisiana.