Tropical Storm Beryl is rapidly making its way towards Texas’ southeastern coastline, with experts predicting that the deadly storm will once again become a hurricane before it makes landfall early Monday. The storm claimed 11 lives as it swept through the Caribbean last week, growing into an unprecedented Category 5 hurricane at its earliest stage on record. It subsequently weakened to a tropical storm after passing over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday.
However, meteorologists believe that Beryl will strengthen once more as it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico towards Matagorda Bay, just north of Corpus Christi, Texas. The National Hurricane Center forecasts that the storm will be at least a Category 1 hurricane with winds ranging from 75 mph to 95 mph. However, there is potential for it to escalate to a Category 3 hurricane, with wind speeds between 111 mph and 129 mph, making it the most powerful storm since Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Last month, Texas Gulf Coast experienced heavy rain and coastal flooding due to Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Beryl is expected to bring intense rainfall, damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge, and even possible tornadoes to the Lone Star region, according to the National Hurricane Center.
AccuWeather lead hurricane forecaster Alex DaSilva explained that the storm is trying to become better organized and could potentially reach Category 2 or possibly Category 3 strength due to its favorable environment. The storm’s development is expected to be rapid, prompting residents in affected areas to remain vigilant and heed official warnings.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 40 counties within the state on Friday, urging holiday travelers and those living in at-risk communities to pay close attention to official alerts. Corpus Christie Mayor Paulette Guajardo also issued a local disaster declaration for the southern city, highlighting the importance of resource deployment during such events.
Six to twelve inches of rain are expected to fall rapidly in the area where Beryl is set to make landfall, with even Houston potentially receiving 4 to 8 inches of precipitation. Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings are currently in place, with around 500,000 people under a tropical alert. This number is expected to increase as the storm intensifies and moves further northwards.
Tropical storms also pose the threat of tornadoes, as Fox Weather meteorologist Cody Brad pointed out. Twisters could hit the Houston and Galveston areas on Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday, Beryl is expected to move northward beyond Dallas and towards Arkansas, where it will eventually dissipate, bringing rain late in the week to a wide swath of the country with up to 13 states potentially impacted as it weakens.
