Hurricane Beryl: Texas residents told to leave as state braces for dangerous weather

With Hurricane Beryl looming to make landfall on the US, Galveston Emergency Management Officials have ordered a voluntary evacuation for the west end of the island.

The order takes effect at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday, July 7. It applies to residents and visitors west of 103rd Street who aren't protected by the Texas city's Seawall.

Officials are worried about the damage Beryl could cause to the Texan area. The National Weather Service issued a storm surge warning for the area as well.

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A press release from the city of Galveston read: "While officials feel the chances of tides above five feet are currently very remote, tides above that level could prevent travel on major roads and make it difficult for the city to respond to emergencies.

"Emergency management officials ask that residents realize if they decide to stay in a low-lying area, they may not be able to safely leave for several hours, and emergency services may not be available while tides remain elevated,” the press release continued, “Current predictions from the NWS have tides rising late in the day Sunday with peak tides on Monday morning around sunrise.

"After that time is expected the surge will gradually recede during the day Monday," it read, "Any excessive rain which is possible with Beryl could compound flooding.”

City Manager Brian Maxwell shared that the recent predictions from the National Weather Service haven't changed. However, the latest call with the National Weather Service showed an increase in size from Beryl which could cause higher tides.

"Mayor Brown signed the order out of an abundance of caution,” Maxwell explained. Beryl has already left a trail of destruction as the hurricane hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula near the vacation city of Tulum on Friday.

It also hit Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and Venezuela. The storm made history as the Atlantic Ocean's earliest documented Category 5 hurricane on Tuesday.

So far 11 deaths have been attributed to the storm. Three deaths were reported in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela, and two in Jamaica.