Hurricane Beryl Threatens Texas Coast With Devastating Impact

Tropical Storm Beryl is poised to intensify into a hurricane before striking the South Texas coast on Monday, bringing damaging winds, life-threatening storm surges, and severe flooding starting late Sunday. This marks the first U.S. landfall storm of the 2024 Atlantic season. Here’s the latest update:

Beryl is predicted to make landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas, as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Currently classified as a tropical storm, Beryl is situated about 245 miles southeast of Corpus Christi in the Gulf of Mexico, with maximum winds of 60 mph as of 5 a.m. ET Sunday. The state will likely start experiencing the storm’s effects on Sunday, prompting several counties to issue evacuation orders.

Hurricane warnings are in effect along the Texas coast from Baffin Bay to Sargent. Hurricane watches extend south of Baffin Bay to the Rio Grande River's mouth and north of Sargent to San Luis Pass. A tropical storm warning is in place from Sargent to High Island, and the Mexican coast from Barra el Mezquital to the Rio Grande. Storm surge warnings cover areas from the north entrance of Padre Island National Seashore to High Island, including Corpus Christi Bay, Matagorda Bay, and Galveston Bay. The Texas coast from the Rio Grande River's mouth northward to the North Entrance of Padre Island National Seashore, as well as from San Luis Pass to Sabine Pass, is under storm surge watch.

Tropical storm conditions will hit the western Gulf Coast on Sunday, with hurricane conditions expected later in the day. Storm surges up to 6 feet are predicted for parts of the Texas coast late Sunday night into Monday, as rising waters push inland. Rip currents will also create life-threatening beach conditions through Monday across much of the Gulf Coast.

Heavy rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, with localized amounts up to 15 inches, is forecast across the Texas Gulf Coast and East Texas from late Sunday through the middle of next week, potentially causing flash and urban flooding. Hurricane-force winds will impact the lower and middle Texas coast on Sunday night and Monday. A few tornadoes could also occur along the Texas Coast Sunday afternoon and evening. “Preparations should be rushed to completion before tropical storm conditions begin late today,” the hurricane center advised on Sunday morning.

Earlier this week, Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic on record, causing at least nine fatalities in the Caribbean, including two in Jamaica, three in Venezuela, three in Grenada, and one in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. After battering several Caribbean islands, the storm unleashed strong winds, heavy rainfall, and dangerous storm surges over much of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

The unusually warm ocean waters fueling Beryl’s intensification suggest an abnormal hurricane season ahead. Beryl’s impact on Jamaica was exacerbated by climate change, according to a new rapid attribution analysis from ClimaMeter. Modern storms like Beryl, tracking close to Jamaica, are capable of producing 30% more rain and 10% stronger winds compared to similar storms from 1979 to 2001 due to human-caused climate change, the study found.

Jamaican residents are now assessing the damage after Beryl struck the Caribbean island with destructive winds and storm surges, killing two people and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power. Beryl was the strongest storm to impact the country in over 15 years, also causing significant damage in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and Grenada. Several charities are actively distributing aid throughout the region. Contributions to relief efforts are encouraged.

Texas officials are urging residents to prepare for Beryl’s impending impact on coastal areas this weekend. 

“Everyone along the coast should be paying attention to this storm,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said during a Friday briefing.

“We pray and hope for nothing more than a rain event, but even a rain event may be very heavy,” Patrick added. “We prepare at the state for the worst-case scenario.”

Several counties have already asked residents to evacuate due to potentially dangerous conditions. Gov. Greg Abbott has issued severe weather disaster declarations for 40 counties, as the state faces “heavy rainfall, flooding conditions, and strong tropical winds.”

Matagorda County has issued a voluntary evacuation order ahead of Beryl’s arrival, calling for people to leave coastal areas, including Sargent, Matagorda, and Palacios. Aransas County ordered an evacuation for residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas, as well as those with special needs. Refugio County mandated an evacuation for all residents on Saturday afternoon, as they continue to rebuild infrastructure from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

During the storm, Refugio County’s local hospital will reroute emergency patients, city water will be turned off, and emergency services will be limited. City officials will provide bus transportation to an out-of-town emergency shelter for those unable to evacuate on their own.

The City of Port Aransas on Mustang Island issued a mandatory visitor evacuation by noon Sunday, excluding residents and property owners. Kleberg County Judge Rudy Madrid issued a voluntary evacuation for Baffin Bay, Loyola Beach, and all low-lying areas. Nueces County Judge Connie Scott asked citizens in low-lying areas or needing assistance to evacuate, anticipating the storm’s landfall in the area as a hurricane.

The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi is urging residents to prepare for Beryl, with tropical storm force winds predicted to arrive Sunday afternoon. Mayor Paulette Guajardo declared a local state of disaster on Saturday and advised visitors to consider leaving early if necessary.

In Houston, the weather service is also urging vigilance, expecting increased rainfall and potential tropical storm force winds by Sunday morning.

Rockport issued voluntary evacuation orders for low-lying areas, and local officials are coordinating with the state for possible evacuations. While no local hurricane shelter has been established, charter buses will be ready to evacuate residents from the Aransas County Airport on Saturday evening. Rockport, which suffered major damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is preparing for the storm's impact.

Voluntary evacuations have been announced for low-lying areas in Port Lavaca, northeast of Rockport, potentially affecting about 1,000 people, mostly in beach areas.

With Tropical Storm Beryl expected to strengthen into a hurricane and make landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas, on Monday, residents and officials are bracing for significant impacts. The storm threatens damaging winds, severe storm surges, and heavy rainfall, prompting widespread evacuation orders and preparations along the Texas Gulf Coast. The unusual intensity of Beryl highlights the ongoing impact of climate change on storm patterns and severity.