Hurricane Beryl death toll rises to 36 in Houston area, authorities say

The death toll from Hurricane Beryl in the Houston area has risen to 36, including nine in Fort Bend County.

Among the nine newly reported deaths in Fort Bend County, overheating played a role in at least four deaths, according to the medical examiner.

Experts have been warning for weeks that the death toll will continue to rise as they learn more about the conditions surrounding the storm. Forensic experts in the Houston area have determined that power and heat losses played a growing role in the storm’s damage.

According to Harris County medical examiners, eighteen people died from Beryl-related problems, including eight from overheating and four from injuries sustained from blunt force while cutting down trees after the storm.

Those deaths, combined with five in Galveston County, three in Montgomery County and one in Matagorda County, bring the total number of deaths to 36.

The death toll from the Category 1 hurricane exceeded that of Hurricane Ike in 2008, which was a Category 2 when it made landfall.

Hurricane Beryl hit Texas hard, knocking out power to many residents just before a triple-digit heat index hit the region. State and local officials have repeatedly vowed to investigate CenterPoint’s response to the power outages.