Hurricane Beryl tracker: Death toll rises to 6 in Texas, over 2 million without power

Tropical Storm Beryl is tearing across Texas after making landfall in the state as a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning.

At least six people have been killed by fallen trees or by drowning and more than 2 million customers are without power across Texas due to torrential rain and powerful winds.

Hurricane Beryl first killed at least seven people in the Windward Islands before skirting south of Jamaica, shutting down communications, stranding tourists and delivering storm surge and flooding rain to the island.

Latest Developments

_{Jul 8, 8:15 PM}

Officials confirm 3 more fatalities, raising death toll to 6 in Texas

The death toll in Texas from tropical storm Beryl has risen from three known fatalities to at least six, officials confirmed Monday evening.

Three people were killed in Montgomery County due to falling trees from the storm, according to Chief of Staff for Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough.

One man riding a tractor on a public roadway was killed when a tree fell on him and a couple was killed in a wooded area when a tree fell on them, according to Keough.

The three previously confirmed deaths included two from falling trees and one from drowning.

As of Monday evening, Beryl was designated as a "tropical depression" by officials, due to its sustained winds of 35 mph.

Beryl is moving northeast at 16 mph, continuing to gain speed as it weakens.

_{Jul 8, 6:56 PM}

2.7 million people still without power, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at a Monday press briefing that 2.7 million people across the state are still without power and 10 transmission lines are down.

It will take "several days" to restore power, Patrick said, and the priority will be first restoring it in hospitals, nursing homes and the homes of people that depend on respirators or medical devices with failed generators.

Officials urged members of the public to stay inside and not drive.

Three people have been confirmed dead, two from falling trees and one from drowning.

_{Jul 8, 6:19 PM}

Houston mayor confirms 3rd victim has died in deadly storm

A third person in the U.S. has died due to tropical storm Beryl, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced early Monday evening.

The man, who was a civilian employee of the Houston Police Department, died after driving into flood conditions on the way to work Monday morning. His body was retrieved from a submerged car.

The victim has not been publicly identified, and no other details were given about him. His family is currently being notified.

_{Jul 8, 4:58 PM}

47 high water rescues in Harris County

As floodwaters from Beryl rushed through the streets, crews carried out 47 high water rescues across Harris County, which encompasses Houston, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo told reporters.

Street flooding is still significant Monday afternoon, Hidalgo said, and she urged residents to stay home.

In terms of storm surge, Hidalgo said, "Things turned out a little bit better than we expected."

Beryl's rough winds have caused more than 2 million customers to lose power across the state. Hidalgo said there will be a clearer picture Tuesday on the timeline for power restoration in Harris County.

_{Jul 8, 4:58 PM}

Sugar Land 'weathered the storm as well as we could'

In Sugar Land, Texas, just outside of Houston, Beryl has dumped 5 to 10 inches of rain and knocked out power to most of the population, according to Mayor Joe Zimmerman.

"The hurricane passed almost right over us," Zimmerman told ABC News Live.

But he added, "We were ready."

"We had activated our emergency operations center yesterday at noon. We had staff on two, 12-hour shifts, and that staff was able to keep everything up and running," he said.

"It was a considerable wind event. We've got trees down, we've got branches down, we've got inlets clogged up," the mayor said. "But we've got crews out there, we've got our public works crews out there, police, fire, EMS, everybody's available. I think Sugar Land weathered the storm as well as we could."

_{Jul 8, 3:53 PM}

5 to 9 inches of rain inundates Houston area

Tropical Storm Beryl has inundated the Houston area with 5 to 9 inches of rain as it continues to slam east Texas with flooding and gusty winds.

Wind gusts reached 84 mph in Houston and 94 mph in Freeport, Texas.

Beryl has also brought tornadoes to east Texas. A tornado watch is in effect through Monday night in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The storm will steadily weaken through the afternoon. Beryl was the earliest in the season hurricane to make landfall in Texas since Bonnie in 1986.

-ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke

_{Jul 8, 3:30 PM}

Beryl’s latest forecast

Beryl is expected to remain a tropical storm as its center passes near Lufkin in east Texas on Monday night.

By Tuesday morning, Beryl will reach Arkansas and is expected to weaken to a tropical depression.

Rain from Beryl will hit Indiana Tuesday morning and then move into Detroit Tuesday night.

Beryl’s remnants will then drop heavy rain in Vermont on Wednesday.

The rain will reach Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening and into Philadelphia and New York City overnight into Thursday morning. Flash flooding is possible.

_{Jul 8, 1:40 PM}

2.7 million without power in Texas

Power has been knocked out to more than 2.7 million customers in Texas as Hurricane Beryl slams the state with powerful winds and torrential rain.

ABC Houston station KTRK briefly lost power in its newsroom Monday morning.

_{Jul 8, 1:52 PM}

Man rescued from truck submerged in floodwaters

Houston firefighters rescued a man who was trapped on his submerged truck as the floodwaters rapidly rose around him.

The rescuers dropped a life preserver ring to him and guided him to the shore.

Eight people have been rescued in Houston so far, according to Houston police.

"Shelter in place -- do not put our first responders in further danger," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said at a news conference.

_{Jul 8, 11:14 AM}

2 killed by fallen trees in Houston area

A 53-year-old man was killed by a fallen tree while riding out Hurricane Beryl with his family, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The man, his wife and children were in a house in Atascocita in the Houston area when an oak tree fell on the roof, hitting the rafters, the sheriff said. The structure then fell on the man, killing him.

His wife and children were not hurt, the sheriff said Monday morning.

Hours later, the sheriff said a 74-year-old woman was killed when a tree fell on a home in Houston.

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