Beryl a hurricane again as it makes landfall over Texas
Beryl strengthened and became a hurricane again late Sunday, then made landfall early Monday over the central Texas coast near Matagorda, the National Hurricane Center said. Residents were preparing for the powerful storm that had already cut a deadly path through parts of Mexico and the Caribbean.
The Miami-based hurricane center issued an update at 5 a.m. EDT saying Beryl was bringing "dangerous storm surge and strong winds" and that flash flooding was expected.
The center placed Beryl's eye over Matagorda and about 85 miles south-southwest of Houston.
The hurricane's top sustained winds were 80 mph as the storm moved north at 12 mph.
A hurricane warning was in effect for the Texas coast from Mesquite Bay north to Port Bolivar, the center said.
Beryl's eye "will move over eastern Texas today, then move through the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday," the center added. " ... Steady to rapid weakening is expected as the center moves inland, and Beryl is expected to weaken to a tropical storm later today and to a tropical depression on Tuesday."
The center said hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from Beryl's core and tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 115 miles.
As of 5:30 a.m. EDT, some 132,000 Texas homes and businesses had no electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.
As the storm neared the coast, Texas officials said they were worried that not enough residents and beach vacationers in Beryl's path had heeded warnings to leave.
"One of the things that kind of trigger our concern a little bit, we've looked at all of the roads leaving the coast and the maps are still green," said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is serving as the state's acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is travelling overseas. "So we don't see many people leaving."
Along the coast, many residents and business owners took the typical storm precautions but also expressed uncertainty about the storm's intensity.
Patrick issued a preemptive disaster declaration for 121 counties.
The Houston Independent School District announced it was closing all campuses and buildings on Monday and Tuesday due to the storm. "All summer classes and activities are canceled, and all District activities and events – including professional development and recruiting sessions – are canceled," HISD said in a message to families and staff on Sunday evening.
Refugio County, which is just north of Corpus Christi, ordered a mandatory evacuation on Saturday afternoon. Port Aransas, located on a barrier island in Nueces County just east of Corpus Christi, ordered a mandatory evacuation for all visitors beginning at noon Sunday. All Nueces County residents were also "strongly encouraged" to evacuate as well, county officials said.
A tropical storm warning was in place from Mesquite Bay south to the Port Mansfield and from north of Port Bolivar to Sabine Pass.
A storm surge warning was in effect for the Texas coast north of Port Bolivar to Sabine Pass. Texas coastal areas could see storm surges of 4-7 feet, the hurricane center forecast.
Beryl was causing flight disruptions by Sunday night. United Airlines was reducing its overnight schedule at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and planned to largely suspend flying out of Houston on Monday. American Airlines had canceled about 50 flights for Monday and suspended operations in Houston until at least 2 p.m. CT on Monday.
Beryl hit Tulum, Mexico, as a Category 2 hurricane and toppled trees but caused no injuries or deaths before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the peninsula.
The U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release that they were "preparing and will respond to impacts" from Beryl, and urged boaters to take precautions.
Along with some mandatory evacuations, Some Texas coastal cities called for voluntary evacuations in low-lying areas prone to flooding, banned beach camping and urged tourists traveling on the July 4 holiday weekend to move recreational vehicles from coastal parks.
Beryl's deadly, destructive path
Beryl, the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, caused at least 11 deaths as it passed through the Caribbean islands earlier in the week.
The head of Mexico's civil defense agency, Laura Velázquez, said Beryl hadn't caused any deaths or injuries there and that "damages were minor," though tens of thousands of people remained without power.
Tulum was plunged into darkness when the storm knocked out power as it came ashore. Screeching winds set off car alarms across the town. Wind and rain continued to whip the seaside city and surrounding areas Friday morning. Army brigades roved the streets of the tourist city, clearing fallen trees and power lines.
Although no dead or wounded have been reported, nearly half of Tulum continued to be without electricity, said Laura Velázquez, national coordinator of Mexican Civil Protection.
Before the storm hit Mexico, official had set up shelters in schools and hotels. When the wind began gusting over Tulum's beaches Thursday, officials on four-wheelers with megaphones rolled along the sand telling people to leave and authorities evacuated beachside hotels. Sea turtle eggs were even moved off beaches threatened by storm surge.
Tourists also took precautions. Lara Marsters, 54, a therapist visiting Tulum from Boise, Idaho, said she had filled up empty water bottles from the tap.
"We're going to hunker down and stay safe," she said.
Beryl leaves trail of damage, destruction
Before hitting Mexico and moving into the Gulf, Beryl had already spread destruction in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados this week. Three people have been reported dead in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela and two in Jamaica, officials said.
As of Friday morning, 55% of Jamaica still without electricity and most of the country was without running water, according to government figures.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness promised swift relief for residents affected by Hurricane Beryl after visiting one of the worst-affected areas of the island, the southern parish of St Elizabeth on Thursday afternoon.
"I know some of you are experiencing discomfort and displacement, and I want to assure you that the government will move as quickly as we can to get you the help you need," he said.
Earlier in the week, the hurricane damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and ripped off roofs and knocked out electricity in Jamaica.
On Union Island, part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a man who identified himself as Captain Baga described the storm's impact, including how he had filled two 2,000-gallon rubber water tanks in preparation.
"I strapped them down securely on six sides; and I watched the wind lift those tanks and take them away — filled with water," he said Thursday. "I'm a sailor and I never believed wind could do what I saw it do. If anyone (had) ever told me wind could do that, I would have told them they lie!"
The island was littered with debris from homes that looked like they had exploded.
Historic hurricane
Beryl was the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, and was only the second Category 5 storm recorded in July since 2005, according to the hurricane center.
It took Beryl only 42 hours to strengthen from a tropical depression to a major hurricane, which is a Category 3 storm or higher — a feat accomplished only six other times in Atlantic hurricane history, and with Sept. 1 as the earliest date, according to hurricane expert Sam Lillo.
Beryl was also the third Category 3 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic in June, following Audrey in 1957 and Alma in 1966, hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said.
"Beryl is an extremely dangerous and rare hurricane for this time of year in this area," he told the AP in a phone interview. "Unusual is an understatement," he said, calling Beryl historic.
Hurricane Ivan in 2004 was the last strongest hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean, causing catastrophic damage in Grenada as a Category 3 storm.
Beryl is the second named storm in what is predicted to be a busy hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 in the Atlantic. Last month, Tropical Storm Alberto brought torrential flooding to portions of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. It was responsible for at least four deaths in the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and Veracruz.
According to CBS News weather producer David Parkinson, Beryl is the farthest east a hurricane has formed in June, and one of only two to do so east of the Caribbean, with the other instance occurring in 1933.
Warm waters fueled Beryl, with ocean heat content in the deep Atlantic the highest on record for this time of year, according to Brian McNoldy, University of Miami tropical meteorology researcher.
