Hurricane Beryl is forecast to intensify as it approaches the southern Texas coast, posing threats of damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge, and dangerous flooding. The storm is forecast to be the first to make landfall in the U.S. during the 2024 Atlantic season.
Earlier this week, Beryl strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane, the earliest on record in the Atlantic, and caused at least nine deaths in the Caribbean. The victims included two in Jamaica, three in Venezuela, three in Grenada and one in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
As of Saturday morning, Beryl, downgraded to a tropical storm, was located approximately 545 miles from Corpus Christi, Texas, after causing significant wind, rain, and storm surge impacts on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and several Caribbean islands.
Forecasters predict Beryl will regain strength on Sunday ahead of its expected landfall in South Texas.
The National Weather Service has issued hurricane and storm surge watches for portions of the Texas coast as of Friday night. A hurricane watch extends from the mouth of the Rio Grande to the San Luis Pass, while a storm surge watch is in effect from the Rio Grande to High Island, including the Harris County coast.
Additionally, a hurricane watch has been declared for the northeast coast of Mexico, from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
The National Hurricane Center expects Beryl to reach the vicinity of Corpus Christi as a Category 1 hurricane around midday Monday. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has indicated the state could begin to experience the effects of Beryl as early as Sunday into Monday.
He expressed hope in the state that the impact would be less severe, saying: “We are praying and hoping that there will be no more rain, but even the rains can be very heavy. We are preparing in the state for the worst case scenario.”
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