Record-Breaking Hurricane Beryl Kills Two People in Texas, Knocks Out Power for 2.5 Million

A week after it first formed in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Beryl crashed into Texas with heavy rains and strong winds on Monday, killing at least two people, reported NBC News.

The Category 1 storm knocked out power for more than 2.5 million customers and led to more than 1,000 flight cancellations, according to data tracker FlightAware. 

Lieutenant Governor of Texas Dan Patrick said crews would not be able to restore power until winds from the powerful storm died down, The Associated Press reported.

“We haven’t really slept,” said Eva Costancio, resident of Rosenberg, a suburb of Houston, as reported by The Associated Press. A large tree had fallen across her neighborhood’s electric lines, and she worried that losing power for too long would cause the food in her refrigerator to go bad.

“We are struggling to have food and losing that food would be difficult,” Costancio said.

Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Texas coast near Matagorda, 95.8 miles south-southwest of Houston, with 80-mile-an-hour maximum sustained winds, NBC News reported.

At least two Harris County residents were killed when the storm caused trees to fall on their homes, including a 74-year-old woman, reported NBC News and The New York Times.

Eleven or more people have now been killed by Beryl in St. Vincent, Grenada, the Grenadines, Venezuela, Jamaica and Texas.

After weakening to a tropical storm once it left the Caribbean and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Beryl again strengthened to a hurricane, fueled by the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters.

“Life-threatening storm surge inundation will continue through this afternoon along the coast of Texas from Port O’Connor to Sabine Pass, including the eastern portion of Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay,” the National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center said. “Damaging wind gusts near the core of Beryl will continue to spread northward within the Tropical Storm Warning Area, including the Houston metro area, for the next several hours.”

A flash-flood warning was in effect for Houson most of Monday morning as the hurricane’s heavy rains continued, according to The Associated Press. City officials said at least 15 rescues of people that had been swept away by high water had been performed, with more ongoing.

“First responders are putting their lives at risk. That’s what they’re trained for. It’s working,” said Houston Mayor John Whitmire, as The Associated Press reported.

“This is not a one-day event,” Whitmire added.

Along the Texas coast and further inland, flood warnings were issued as a powerful storm surge came ashore.

Search and rescue teams were prepared by the United States Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which also collected meals, bottled water, electric generators and tarps for use as needed.

Javier Mejia had experienced other Houston storms and had stocked up on water and food, but was looking for gas for his generator.

“I don’t want it to go bad. But if not, we can just fire up the grill,” Mejia said, as reported by The Associated Press.

Patti Richardson, a resident of Freeport, Texas, stayed in her 123-year-old house to ride out the storm.

“We are sitting in the middle of it. It sounds like we are in a train station, it’s that loud and has been about four hours. We’re just hoping everything holds together,” Richardson said. “You can feel the house shaking.”

Beryl was the earliest Atlantic storm to become a Category 5 hurricane.

Within 24 hours or less, Beryl gained 35 miles per hour of wind speed three times as it moved from the Caribbean to Texas, an illustration of rapid intensification as officially defined by the weather service.

Beryl’s ability to rapidly and repeatedly gain strength is an indicator of what this hurricane season could bring.

“Considerable flash and urban flooding is expected today into tonight across portions of the middle and upper Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas. Minor to isolated major river flooding is also expected,” the hurricane centers said. “Rip currents will cause life-threatening beach conditions through Tuesday across portions of the northern and western Gulf coasts. Beachgoers should heed warning flags and the advice of lifeguards and local officials before venturing into the water.”