Beryl leaves behind scorching heat as still-dangerous storm buffets U.S. interior

HOUSTON (AP) — Many of the millions of people left without power when Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas, killing several people and causing flooding, now face days without air conditioning as dangerous heat threatens the region Tuesday.

A heat advisory was in effect through Wednesday for the Houston area and beyond, with temperatures expected to exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) and humidity as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius). The widespread loss of power, and therefore air conditioning, could create dangerous conditions, the National Weather Service said.

More than 2.3 million homes and businesses around Houston were without power Tuesday morning, down from a peak of more than 2.7 million Monday, according to PowerOutage.us.

“Houstonians need to know that we are working around the clock to keep them safe,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Monday, urging residents to also be aware of the dangers of high water, stay hydrated and check on their neighbors.

Beryl has been charged in at least seven deaths – one in Louisiana and six in Texas, authorities said.

The storm weakened after landfall and by Tuesday morning had become a tropical depression centered over southwestern Arkansas, moving northeast with maximum sustained winds near 30 mph (48 kph), the weather service said. Its strength is not expected to change much in the coming days.

The storm is expected to bring heavy rain and possible flash flooding from the lower and middle Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes through Wednesday, the weather service said.

A flood warning has been issued for parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. A few tornadoes are possible in Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, forecasters said.

Beryl made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, far less powerful than the behemoth that carved a deadly path through parts of Mexico and the Caribbean. But its winds and rains still downed hundreds of trees that had already collapsed into the saturated earth and stranded dozens of cars on flooded roads.

It could take several days to fully restore power in Texas after Beryl knocked out 10 transmission lines. The top priorities for restoring power are nursing homes and assisted living facilities, said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is acting as governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is out of the country.

In May, violent storms killed eight people in the region, left nearly a million people without power and flooded streets. Residents without power after Beryl are doing their best.

“We haven’t really slept,” Eva Costancio said as she looked at a large tree that had fallen on power lines in Rosenberg, a Houston suburb. She said she had already been without power for several hours and was worried the food in her refrigerator would spoil.

“We’re struggling to get food, and losing that food would be hard,” she said.

The state has opened cooling centers, as well as food and water distribution centers, said Nim Kidd, the state’s emergency operations chief.

Torrential rains from Beryl pounded Houston and other coastal areas Monday, closing streets that had been washed out by previous storms. Houston authorities reported at least 25 water rescues Monday afternoon, mostly of people whose vehicles were stuck in floodwaters.

Many streets and neighborhoods in Houston were littered with fallen branches and other debris. The hum of chainsaws filled the air Monday afternoon as residents cut downed trees and branches that blocked streets and sidewalks. Several companies with refineries or industrial facilities reported that the power outages required gas flaring.

Beryl, the first Category 5 hurricane to develop in the Atlantic, killed at least 11 people as it moved through the Caribbean before heading toward Texas. In Jamaica, officials said Monday that islanders will face food shortages after Beryl destroyed more than $6.4 million worth of crops and supporting infrastructure.

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Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; Corey Williams in Detroit; Julie Walker in New York; Melina Walling in Chicago; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana contributed to this report.