Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Mexico, heads to Texas

Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Mexico Friday morning as a Category 2 storm on its path toward the Gulf Coast and possibly Texas.

The hurricane is responsible for at least nine total deaths so far, which came as it traveled over Venezuela and Jamaica, as well as Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, NBC News reported.

On Tuesday, Hurricane Beryl made history by becoming the earliest Category 5 hurricane to develop in the Atlantic, as the Deseret News previously reported.

The storm weakened to a Category 4 on Tuesday. Still, Hurricane Beryl is one of the strongest storms to impact Jamaica in over 15 years, CNN reported.

Earlier this week, Beryl pummeled the island country with a downpour of rain and dangerous wind. The eyewall of the hurricane was “brushing the south coast of Jamaica” at 140 mph Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported, bringing “hurricane conditions” to that part of the island.

Storm’s damage posted to social media

Photos and videos posted to social media on Wednesday show the damage the storm caused as well as the dangerous weather conditions.

The Jamaica Observer, a local newspaper, posted videos showing flooded streets and photos showing residential damage, including roofs being ripped off of buildings.

Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Mexico, moves toward Texas

The hurricane hit the Cayman islands Thursday as a Category 3 storm before making landfall in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, early Friday. Hurricane Beryl weakened to a tropical storm Friday as it moved across the Yucatan Peninsula, but it is “forecast to regain strength over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico this weekend before striking Texas early next week,” per AccuWeather .

The Weather Channel predicts the storm will move into the Gulf of Mexico Saturday before strengthening back to a hurricane early Monday and hitting northeast Mexico or Texas.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to issue an advisory notice to the Texas Emergency Management Council on Wednesday, NBC News reported.

“Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources and support to our coastal communities as Hurricane Beryl approaches the state,” Abbott said in a statement posted to social media.

“... As Texans around the south coastal areas make holiday plans and visitors begin to travel for the holiday weekend, I urge them to take necessary safety precautions, remain weather aware, and have an emergency plan ready for themselves and their families. State and local officials will continue to work around-the-clock to monitor statewide weather conditions and help protect Texans.”

How to stay safe from rip currents

As the tropical storm makes its way toward the Gulf of Mexico and South Texas, the National Hurricane Center is warning beachgoers to watch out for rip currents.

According to the center, rip currents are “powerful currents of water moving away from shore. They can sweep even the strongest swimmer away from shore.”

The National Hurricane Center recommends swimming near a lifeguard to avoid getting caught in a rip current.

If you do get caught in one, here are some recommendations from the hurricane center for staying safe:

• Relax, rip currents don’t pull you under.
• Don’t swim against the current.
• Swim out of the current, then to shore.
• If you can’t escape, float or tread water.
• If you need help, yell or wave for assistance.