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Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas as Category 1 storm: NHC

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Updated  July 8, 2024 8:58am EDT
Hurricanes
FOX 35 Orlando

Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas

Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, Texas, with sustained winds of 80 mph early Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said. The Category 1 storm is currently producing potentially deadly storm surge and strong winds which could bring the area flash and urban flooding.

Hurricane Beryl made landfall along the Texas coast as a Category 1 storm early Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

The center of the hurricane struck near Matagorda, Texas, around 4 a.m. CT, with sustained winds of 80 mph. 

As of 7 a.m. CT, Beryl continues to batter southeastern Texas with potentially deadly storm surge, damaging winds and torrential rainfall as it moves inland, which could lead to flash and urban flooding.

The cyclone’s powerful hurricane-force winds have led to skyrocketing power outages. More than 320,000 electrical customers in Texas have already lost power, according to PowerOutage.us.

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RELATED: Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas: Will Florida see any indirect impacts?

The storm is located about 40 miles southwest of Houston, Texas, but is expected to turn to the northeast and increase in speed from Monday night into Tuesday.

Doppler radar data from the National Weather Service show Beryl's maximum sustained winds have slightly decreased since landfall to near 75 mph. 

Forecast for Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl is bringing damaging hurricane-force winds to portions of the Texas coast on Monday morning as the center of the storm moves over portions of eastern Texas.

It is expected to drop 5 to 10 inches with localized amountsof 15 inches over parts of the middle and upperTexas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas through Monday night. 

The storm is forecast to then move across the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The NHC expects Beryl to weaken to a tropical storm later Monday as its center continues moving inland, and is forecast to be a tropical depression by Tuesday.

 

Hurricane Beryl: Latest watches and warnings

  • A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Mesquite Bay to Sabine Pass, including Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay.
  • A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Texas coast from Mesquite Bay northward to Port Bolivar.
  • A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Texas coast north of Port Bolivar to Sabine Pass.

Beryl’s destructive past

Beryl formed on June 29 and became the season’s first hurricane. After it rapidly intensified across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean, the storm broke multiple records throughout its trek. 

Beryl made its first landfall as an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane on Carriacou Island on Monday, July 1. 

Just hours after pummeling the Windward Islands, Beryl continued strengthening, reaching Category 5 strength Monday evening. Beryl shattered the record for the earliest Category 5 hurricane observed in the Atlantic basin.

Inside the eye of Hurricane Beryl: VIDEO

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's hurricane hunters share a look inside the eye of Hurricane Beryl, an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm that made landfall in Carriacou on Monday morning. (Video: NOAA Aircraft Operations Center/X)

Beryl continued through the Caribbean Sea, making a close pass to Jamaica on Wednesday, where Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness was forced to declare the island a disaster area. Beryl produced massive waves along the coast in Kingston as Beryl moved miles off the Jamaican coast. Storm surge sent water rushing into Kingston as Beryl passed the island. 

Hurricane Beryl continued, heading straight for Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. 

By early Saturday morning, Beryl made its second official landfall just northeast of Tulum at 6:05 a.m. ET as a strong Category 2 hurricane with peak winds estimated at 110 mph. The hurricane dropped torrential rains, and brought storm surge to some of Mexico’s popular tourist destinations.

Even though the Yucatán Peninsula weakened the blow, Beryl still managed to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Saturday, where it continued to move northward through the weekend. 

Texas was Beryl’s third and final landfall before the storm is forecast to deteriorate as it moves northward through the U.S. 

Even though the Yucatán Peninsula weakened the blow, Beryl still managed to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Saturday, where it continued to move northward through the weekend. 

Texas was Beryl’s third and final landfall before the storm is forecast to deteriorate as it moves northward through the U.S. 

Hurricane Beryl weather-related death toll

Beryl has killed at least 10 people as it made its journey across the Caribbean.

FOX Weather contributed to this report.