Tropical Storm Beryl surged along the Texas coast on Monday, bringing heavy winds and violent rain that left 2 million homes and businesses flooded without power.
NBC News reported that Beryl strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Sunday night before making landfall along the Texas coast. The anticipated hurricane left a deadly wake, forging a destructive path through parts of Mexico and the Caribbean. Once it brushed against the coast of Texas, it became far less powerful, dropping to Category 1 instead of Category 5.
Houston, the nations 4th largest city, estimated that 2.2 million homes and businesses were without power after Beryl struck. The Associated Press reported, “For many, it was an all-too-familiar experience: Powerful storms had just ripped through the area in May, killing eight people, leaving nearly 1 million without power and flooding numerous streets.”
Power crews are being sent to assess the damage and restore service as soon as possible, especially for homes left without air conditioning to brace the hot summer months, according to Harris County officials.
The Associated Press said, “Beryl, the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, caused at least 11 deaths as it passed through the Caribbean islands earlier in the week.” The aggressive winds peaked at 165 mph in the Atlantic and slowed down substantially before reaching Texas with 70 mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center, per CNN.
The winds and rain are still causing havoc, knocking down hundreds of trees and leaving cars abandoned on flooded roadways. Two individuals were pronounced dead after trees fell on their homes in Harris County, Texas, according to NBC News.
The storm is expected to continue to lose strength as it gradually tracks up the north-northeast parts of the United States, according to BBC.
As the once-hurricane, now a tropical storm, rolled past Houston, tornado warnings have been issued throughout multiple counties in Texas and a few in Louisiana.
“‘Take cover now!’ The National Weather Service warned in all caps in its weather update around 13:00 CDT (19:00 BST) for residents in Louisiana’s Northeastern Beauregard Parish. ‘Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows,’” per BBC.
USA Today reported the storm will continue moving north at 12 mph. As much as 3-5 inches of rain is expected tonight into Tuesday for areas in southeast Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri.
A new worry Tuesday was a heat advisory that is now in effect through Wednesday in the Houston area, with temperatures expected in the 90s and high humidity.
The temperatures combined with limited power in the area could impact those without air conditioning, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Tuesday morning, Beryl has been blamed for at least seven death, including six in Texas and one in Louisiana, per the AP.
For live updates and to watch Beryl’s projected path, click here.