Source: Buffalo Bayou floods near Downtown Houston just after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Monday, July 8, 2024 in Houston. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Houston — Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas around 4am Monday near Matagorda as a category one hurricane, where it would devastate the greater Houston area with relentless rain and winds for several hours. In its wake it left behind a ton of damaged, flooded roadways and altered lives.
Beryl drenched Houston with a summer’s worth of rain and brought 75 mph winds with gusts even higher. Over 13 inches of rain fell in some parts of the Houston area. 15 inches is the average for June, July and August.
Source: A vehicle is left abandoned in floodwater on a highway after Hurricane Beryl swept through the area on July 08, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) / Getty
Flash flooding became a serious issue as a result of the torrential rains. The storm caused water levels to rise 10.29 feet above normal, the second-highest level on record, according to the NOAA . The highest recorded level was 10.47 feet above normal in 2017, courtesy of Hurricane Harvey, In Galveston Bay, the storm surge was 4.5 to 5.5 feet in many areas.
Houston highways were littered with stranded cars in many areas, stalled by floodwaters.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport canceled 80% and 60% of their flights, respectively, according to CNN .
More than 2.4 million customers lost power across the state of Texas during the storm. By late Monday night 1.8 million CenterPoint customers remained without power. The company said it expects to restore power to 1 million customers by Wednesday evening.
Source: People gather outside a home in the 17400 block of Rustic Canyon Trail where Maria Loredo, 74, died after a tree fell on her second story bedroom during Hurricane Beryl Monday, July 8, 2024, in Houston (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) / Getty
Unfortunately for Galveston, it could take up to two weeks for power to be restored to parts of the island, according to the city . Galveston experienced 4 inches of rain and and 78 mph wind gusts as the storm made its way through.
The winds downed power lines, trees, street lights, fences and even brick walls across the area. Debris fell from buildings in many areas, creating hazardous conditions for those outside. Some incomplete structures collapsed due to the high winds. Beryl made conditions favorable for tornadoes, including one that caused damaged in Jamaica Beach.
Surfside was hit especially hard, with the storm surge flooding the entire island by 1am, according to ABC13 . Whole structures were torn down by the high winds. First responders were preventing residents and business owners from returning to the area until around noon on Monday.
Source: Tides rise around homes just before hurricane Beryl is expected to make landfall on Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Surfside Beach. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Tragically, Beryl killed eight people in the U.S. Four people died in Harris County, including two in Houston. A 53-year-old man in Humble died when a tree fell on his home, causing part of the structure to collapse. His family was not harmed. A 74-year-old woman in Spring died when a tree fell on her home. A person in southeast Houston died in a house fire, according to Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
“Lost someone to fire in southeast Houston due to lightning, we believe it’s storm-related,” Whitmire said at a news conference Monday.
Whitmire also confirmed a member of the Houston Police Department lost his life while commuting to work. Their car became submerged in flood waters.
The post The Aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in the Houston Area appeared first on 93Q Country .
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