Tropical Storm Beryl marched toward the Texas coast Sunday as forecasters warned the storm will regain hurricane strength and slam ashore early Monday, potentially as a Category 2.
Beryl's impacts – such as strong winds, heavy rain, and rough seas – will begin in coastal Texas well before landfall, the National Hurricane Center warned. "Winds are first expected to reach tropical storm strength by late today (Sunday), making outdoor preparations difficult or dangerous," the Center said.
In the most extreme cases, parts of Texas could see more than a foot of rain and winds approaching 100 miles per hour.
"People should be preparing for the possibility of a Category 2 hurricane landfall," wrote hurricane specialist Eric Blake in a midday forecast from the National Hurricane Center. "Preparations should be rushed to completion," the center said.
Category 2 hurricanes have extremely dangerous winds of 96-110 mph and are expected to cause extensive damage.
In the storm's path, multiple local authorities told people to evacuate ahead of landfall. Residents boarded up windows, stocked up on supplies and some filled up on gas as they fled town.
The storm made landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Friday morning, after it plowed through the Caribbean and Jamaica earlier this week, killing at least 11 people.
Where is Tropical Storm Beryl?
At 2:00 p.m. EDT, the center of Beryl was located about 165 miles southeast of Corpus Christi in the Gulf of Mexico, traveling northwest at 10 mph. It was expected to continue moving northwest throughout the day Sunday, then north-northwest by Sunday night.
Forecasters expect it to make landfall on the Texas coast early Monday after re-strengthening to at least a Category 1 hurricane.
Hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge watches and warnings were in place along Texas' Gulf Coast, the hurricane center said. Storm surge in Texas could reach as high as 6 feet from Mesquite Bay to Sargent and Matagorda Bay.
Tornadoes are possible Sunday, and rainfall totals were forecast between 5 to 10 inches, with as much as 15 inches in some locations.
AccuWeather meteorologist Carl Erickson warned of strong winds: "Winds of a Category 1 hurricane range from 74 to 95 mph and will down trees, cause widespread power outages and significantly damage property. Power outages can last for days to weeks in the hardest-hit areas."
Beryl storm tracker
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Texas gulf town in Beryl’s path braces, some flee
Kevin Maredia had only a couple of minutes to talk during a busy late Sunday morning at the gas station and convenience store he manages in Palacios, Texas, a Gulf Coast town of 4,000 on Beryl’s path.
Concerned drivers had been stopping by to fill up their tanks, in many cases as they headed out of Palacios to escape the storm’s wrath. Other customers were getting supplies as they planned to hunker down and ride out what could be a Category 2 hurricane by the time it reaches U.S. shores.
The store, about 10 blocks from a bay that may endure Beryl’s strongest winds, had its windows covered with plywood and will close at 7 p.m. Sunday instead of the usual midnight, Maredia said.
The storm was a common topic of conversation, he said, sensing worry and even panic among some customers.
"People are leaving because they’re thinking the wind is coming this way," he said, "so they’re getting out of town."
Could Beryl rapidly intensify to a Cat 2?
Meteorologists believe Beryl will be able to take advantage of the low winds and warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico to quickly regain hurricane status Sunday afternoon or evening.
The hurricane center's latest forecast officially calls for Beryl to become a Category 1 storm again. But given the ideal conditions, the center warns, Beryl could even become a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 95 mph or more. The storm could undergo a period of rapid intensification in the hours right before it makes landfall, seeing more than a 35 mph increase in winds.
Similar rapid increases in winds took place in Beryl’s early stages, as it approached the Windward Islands and after it crossed into the Caribbean.
What's the difference between a Category 1 and a Category 2 hurricane?
Category 1 hurricanes have winds of74-95 mph. Very dangerous winds will produce some damage: Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap, and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles probably will result in power outages that could last a few to several days.
Category 2hurricanes have winds of 96-110 mph. Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is likely, includingoutages that could last from several days to weeks.
Where will Beryl make landfall?
As the storm nears land, the core of strongest winds is expected to be centered around Matagorda Bay, but any shifts eastward in the track could shift the stronger winds as well, the National Weather Service in Houston said. The weather service is expecting tropical storm force winds up to the I-10 corridor, that could lead to large areas of power outages, downed trees and roof damages.
Latest Beryl news:
- Coast Guard says storm may shut oil ports: The Coast Guard warned of possible Texas port closures from Corpus Christi to Houston and began restricting vessel traffic because of Beryl. Port closures could bring to a temporary halt shipments of crude oil to refineries and motor fuels from those plants.
- Tornadoes are possible Sunday: Landfalling tropical storms and hurricanes often produce a tornado threat in bands of rain as they near the coast and move inland, Weather.com said, and Beryl will be no exception. The Storm Prediction Center said a few tornadoes will be possible along the middle to upper Texas Coast into southwest Louisiana as Tropical Storm Beryl approaches.
Beryl already a record-setter
On Monday, Beryl made landfall in Grenada's Carriacou Island as a Category 4 hurricane, ravaging the southern Caribbean Islands, flattening hundreds of buildings and killing at least six people. Later Monday night, it became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record. Driven by record-high ocean temperatures, Beryl's rapid strengthening stunned experts.
Beryl also was the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record — before dropping to Category 3 on Monday — and is the first June major hurricane east of the Lesser Antilles on record.
If the storm does make landfall as a hurricane, Beryl would be the 10th hurricane to do so in July, Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, wrote on X.
'Beat the rush' and be prepared, Texas hardware store owner says
Shop now, not later. That's what Raoul Martinez, who owns a hardware store in Corpus Christi, Texas, reminded his customers Saturday as Beryl took a turn toward the city.
"GET EVERY BATTERY CHARGED in your household," Martinez posted from the No Hassle Tools and More Facebook page early Saturday. "Have a chainsaw on hand to cut away any debris. Cut your grass now so it don’t grow like crazy. Tie down kids playgrounds and animal houses."
Worried but calm customers were buying necessities, he told USA TODAY. Martinez vowed his store will be open through the storm as long he can reach it safely.
"There are people who are going to be in need and we will never know until it happens," he said. "I have tools for everything, and I want to be at people's disposals and it's OK for me."
Martinez encouraged people to be prepared and not wait. "Beat the rush," Martinez said. "A lot of us small businesses are taking the time out and there are little stores selling water, sand bags, and I'm at least staying open for people."
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Jeanine Santucci and Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY; Brandi D. Addison, USA TODAY NETWORK; Reuters
