The deadly Hurricane Beryl has made landfall on the middle Texas coast bringing with it a dangerous storm surge and strong winds.
The powerful storm, now a category one hurricane , hit near Matagorda and moved over land around 4 am Central Standard Time on Monday, The Nationaal Weather Service said.
Satellite imagery and maps from weather observers show the current size of the storm and its expected route across the US.
The storm’s center hit land as a Category 1 hurricane around 4 a.m. Central Standard Time about 85 miles southwest of Houston with top sustained winds of 80 mph (128.7 kph) while moving north at 12 mph (19.3 kph).
Read more: Hurricane Beryl looms over Texas as brutal winds and savage rain storm set to smash the US
Beryl strengthened and become a hurricane again late Sunday. The storm had weakened after leaving a path of deadly destruction through parts of Mexico and the Caribbean.
An update from the National Weather Service warned residents about a coming storm surge. It read: "There is a continuing danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation along the Texas coast from Mesquite Bay to Sabine Pass, including Matagorda Bay & Galveston Bay. Residents should follow any advice given by local officials!"
Along the Texas coast, many residents and business owners took the typical storm precautions but also expressed uncertainty about the storm’s intensity.
Residents along the Texas coast have boarded up windows and evacuated beach towns under evacuation orders. As the storm approached the coast, Texas officials issued warnings on Sunday about potential power outages and flooding. They also expressed concern that not enough residents and beach vacationers in Beryl's path had heeded warnings to evacuate.
"One of the things that kind of trigger our concern a little bit, we've looked at all of the roads leaving the coast and the maps are still green," stated Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is currently acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is on international travel.
In Port Lavaca, Jimmy May fastened plywood over the windows of his electrical supply company and said he wasn’t concerned about the possible storm surge. He recalled his business had escaped flooding in a previous hurricane that brought a 20-foot (6-meter) storm surge.
“In town, you know, if you’re in the low-lying areas, obviously, you need to get out of there,” he said.
At the nearby marina, Percy Roberts showed his neighbor Ken Waller how to properly secure his boat as heavy winds rolled in from the bay Sunday evening.
“This is actually going to be the first hurricane I’m going to be experiencing,” Waller said, noting he is a little nervous but feels safe following Roberts’ lead. “Pray for the best but expect the worst, I guess.”
The earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, Beryl caused at least 11 deaths as it passed through the Caribbean on its way to Texas. The storm ripped off doors, windows and roofs with devastating winds and storm surge fueled by the Atlantic’s record warmth.
Beryl, the earliest storm to escalate into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, has left at least 11 people dead in its wake through the Caribbean en route to Texas. The ferocious storm tore apart homes and infrastructure with its violent winds and surges, powered by the unusually warm Atlantic waters.
The storm's rapid intensification, with Beryl gaining 35 mph (56 kph) in wind speed within 24 hours on three separate occasions, meets the official weather service criteria for rapid escalation.
Experts are pointing to Beryl's sudden and intense development as an early-season monster as a sign of what may come in the Atlantic hurricane belt, given the heated waters of the Atlantic and Caribbean.
Texans have been put on high alert as officials urge preparations along the coast for potential impacts from flooding to strong winds due to Hurricane Beryl. Warnings stretch from Baffin Bay to Sargent, encompassing a vast area including Corpus Christi and south of Houston.
As Beryl approached, those hoping to fly out of the area found their opportunities dwindling. By Sunday afternoon, hundreds of flights from Houston's two major commercial airports were delayed, with dozens cancelled, according to FlightAware data.
In Corpus Christi, officials urged visitors to end their trips early and return home if possible. Residents were advised to secure their homes by boarding up windows if necessary and using sandbags to protect against potential flooding.
The White House announced on Sunday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had dispatched emergency responders, search-and-rescue teams, bottled water, and other resources along the coast.
Several coastal counties issued voluntary evacuation orders for flood-prone low-lying areas. Local officials also prohibited beach camping and encouraged tourists traveling over the Fourth of July holiday weekend to relocate recreational vehicles from coastal parks.
Last week, Beryl, then a Category 2 hurricane, wreaked havoc in Mexico, toppling trees but causing no injuries or deaths before weakening to a tropical storm as it traversed the Yucatan Peninsula. Before reaching Mexico, Beryl left a trail of devastation in Jamaica, Barbados, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The storm claimed lives in several countries: three in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela, and two in Jamaica.
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