Texans are bracing for the approach of Tropical Storm Beryl, which is expected to make landfall as a potentially damaging hurricane late Sunday or early Monday. The storm, which previously made landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and left at least 11 people dead in its wake, weakened to a tropical storm as it moved across the Yucatan but is expected to regain hurricane strength before hitting the Texas coast.
Beryl is currently moving west-northwest at 12 mph and is about 495 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. The National Hurricane Center predicts that the storm will turn to the northwest later in the day Saturday and then north-northwestward by Sunday night, with its center expected to approach the Texas coast by late Sunday into Monday morning.
Hurricane watches have been issued for the Texas coast from San Luis Pass, just southwest of Galveston, Texas, to the Rio Grande and Barra el Mezquital on the northeastern coast of mainland Mexico. The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall of 5 to 10 inches and localized amounts of up to 15 inches in some spots, resulting in flash flooding and urban flooding.
Beryl made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Grenada's Carriacou Island on July 1, leaving at least six people dead. It later became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record before weakening to a tropical storm over Mexico.
Texas Governor Dan Patrick urged residents to take the storm seriously and prepare for its arrival. 'This is a determined storm that is still strong,' he said at a news briefing on Friday.
The following are facts from various sources regarding Tropical Storm Beryl:
Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall in Texas on Monday as an intensifying high-end category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds, but there is an uncertainty of plus or minus one Saffir-Simpson category.
The storm was about 495 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and moving west-northwest at 12 mph at 8 a.m. ET Saturday.
Hurricane watches had been issued for the Texas coast from San Luis Pass to the Rio Grande and Barra el Mezquital on the northeastern coast of mainland Mexico.
Beryl is expected to turn to the northwest later in the day Saturday and then north-northwestward by Sunday night, with its center expected to approach the Texas coast by late Sunday into Monday morning.
The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall of 5 to 10 inches and localized amounts of up to 15 inches in some spots, resulting in flash flooding and urban flooding.
Beryl made landfall on Grenada's Carriacou Island as a Category 4 hurricane on July 1, leaving at least six people dead. It later became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record before weakening to a tropical storm over Mexico.
Sources:
USA Today: 'Texas braces for determined Beryl; landfall as hurricane likely: Live updates'
USA Today: 'Beryl tracker: See projected path towards Texas'
Caller.com: 'Historic storm Beryl is forecast to make 3rd landfall as hurricane in Texas. See path'
Yale Climate Connections: 'Tropical storm Beryl slowly reorganizing over the Gulf or Mexico'
Washington Post: 'Tropical storm Beryl tracker: Map and projected storm path'