Beryl downgraded to tropical storm as it unleashes heavy rain, wind across Texas

Beryl was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm Monday morning, but it was still unleashing heavy wind and rain across Texas.

The hurricane made landfall early Monday near Matagorda, Texas, packing packing sustained winds of 80 miles.

The hurricane has since moved over the Houston area. That's where the Harris County Sheriff said a tree fell on a house, killing a 53-year-old man who was riding out the storm with his family. His wife and children were not injured, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X . Hours later, Gonzalez said officers responded to another home where a tree fell on a house. Inside, they reportedly found 74-year-old woman who had died.

As conditions across the state continue to deteriorate, more customers continue to lose power. Approximately 2 million customers are without power as of 9:30 a.m. CT, according to PowerOutage.us .

The National Hurricane Center said there is a continuing danger of “life-threatening storm surge inundation” along the Texas Coast.

Damaging wind gusts and flash flooding are expected across parts of the middle and upper Texas Gulf Coast, and Eastern Texas, NHC said.

Residents in affected areas are urged to follow local advisories.

Before Beryl made landfall, officials across the state's coastal counties issued voluntary evacuation orders and urged Fourth of July tourists still lingering along the beaches to leave as soon as possible.

Air traffic in and out of the Houston area has been impacted by the storm. Hundreds of flights have either been canceled or delayed at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Throughout the rest of the week, projections show the storm will move up through the mid-central Mississippi River Valley, and by Wednesday and Thursday, it will reach the Toledo, Ohio, area as a tropical depression.

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