Texans braced for the approach of Tropical Storm Beryl, which put nearly the entire coast under a hurricane watch Saturday, with its landfall forecast as a potentially damaging hurricane.
The storm, which barreled through Jamaica and the Caribbean earlier this week and was a hurricane when it made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Friday morning, killed at least 11 people. It weakened to a tropical storm as it moved across the Yucatan, but will strengthen to a hurricane again as it heads toward Texas, the National Hurricane Center said.
“This is a solid storm that’s still going strong,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at a news conference Friday.
At 10 a.m. Texas local time, Beryl was 460 miles southeast of Corpus Christi in the Gulf of Mexico and moving west-northwest at 12 mph. I amIt is expected to turn northwestward on Saturday, then north-northwestward Sunday night, and reach the Texas coast late Sunday or early Monday morning.
Its winds were 60 mph Saturday, with higher gusts. Saturday is expected to strengthen slightly, but the storm will intensify on Sunday.
A hurricane watch extends from the mouth of the Rio Grande to San Luis Pass. On Saturday, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for the Texas coast south to Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
The northeastern coast of mainland Mexico from Barra El Mesquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande was under a tropical storm watch. A storm surge watch was in place from the Rio Grande north to High Island. Additional watches and warnings are likely, the Hurricane Center said.
Beryl Tracker:See Spaghetti Patterns for the projected route of the route to Texas
Shocking Storm:Watch Hurricane Beryl’s track record as it tears through the Caribbean
Key developments:
∎ Officials say at least 11 people have been killed by beryl rippling in Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and northern Venezuela. There were no casualties in Mexico.
∎ Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, becomes the first Category 5 hurricane on record. With its rapid intensity, Beryl became a hurricane within 24 hours of forming. Within another 24 hours, its winds had increased to 55 mph, reaching 130 mph, nearly a Category 4 hurricane.
Schools near the coast of Texas, including the Corpus Christi and West Oso school districts, canceled class activities on Monday. Del Mar College will close its campus on Monday while Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi transitions to remote status.
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The effects of Beryl will begin to be felt in Texas on Saturday
As Beryl strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said Texans will feel its impact Saturday ahead of its arrival.
“The exact location of Beryl’s landfall is uncertain at this time, but the most important thing is that heavy rain, strong winds and storm surge are expected for much of the state’s coastline and parts of the central Gulf Coast starting tonight and into Sunday,” Weather. Prediction Center said Saturday morning.
Storm surges and “life-threatening” surf and rip currents are not far away.
Tropical storm conditions are expected to hit the Texas coast Sunday night.
What areas in Texas are in Beryl’s path?
Several large urban areas in Texas, including Houston, Austin and San Antonio, lie in the broad path of the storm, and it is still uncertain where the hurricane will pass. Most states will feel at least some impact from the storm.
The weather service in Corpus Christi also said South Texas should prepare for power outages.
Storm surges of about 3 to 5 feet are likely around coastal areas, and “surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves,” the hurricane center said. Storm surge will affect areas from Baffin Bay to San Luis Pass, Corpus Christi Bay, Matacorta Bay, Rio Grande to Baffin Bay, San Luis Pass to High Island and Galveston Bay.
Heavy rains and flash floods are some of the biggest threats, forecasters warned. About 5 to 10 inches of rain and up to 15 inches in some areas will drench the Texas Gulf Coast and parts of East Texas beginning late Sunday and into next week. Patrick said flooding is likely wherever Beryl goes.
Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Doyle Rice and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY; Cross Harris and Alexis Zimmerman, Austin American-Statesman; Reuters
