At least four dead and millions without power as Hurricane Beryl sweeps through Texas | US News

More than 2.4 million homes and businesses in the state were left without power after the storm – which was upgraded to a tropical storm on Monday – knocked out 10 long-distance power lines and toppled hundreds of trees, some of which also took down local power lines.

At least four people died when Hurricane Beryl hit Texas late Monday.

Russell Richardson, a 54-year-old IT security officer who was called in to assist with relief efforts, died when his vehicle was flooded on his way to work, Houston police said.

Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington said at least two people were killed when trees fell on homes, one of them a woman in Benton, Louisiana.

According to some local media reports, up to six people died from fallen trees or drowning.

More than 2.4 million homes and businesses in the state were left without power after the storm – which was upgraded to a tropical storm on Monday – knocked out 10 long-distance power lines and toppled hundreds of trees, some of which also took down local power lines.

Nearly two million of those affected are customers of CenterPoint Energy, Houston’s largest electricity provider. The provider hopes to restore power to half of them by Thursday, reports NBC, Sky’s US partner, citing PowerOutage.us.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said the company would deploy thousands of additional workers to restore power, with particular priority given to nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Mr Patrick said: “We are not yet out of difficult situations” and predicted that restoring power “will take several days”.

Dozens of vehicles were stuck on flooded roads as heavy rains inundated parts of the state.

Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, suffered major damage as Beryl’s rains devastated coastal areas, but there were no immediate reports of building damage.

A video of the dramatic rescue of a man who climbed onto the roof of his pickup truck after it became trapped in the fast-flowing waters was broadcast by local television stations.

Rescue workers used a fire truck’s extendable ladder to throw him a life jacket and rope before bringing him to shore. It was one of at least 25 water rescues in the city, mostly targeting people whose vehicles were stuck in the floodwaters.

In May, eight people died and nearly a million people were left without power when a series of storms hit the city.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire said: “First responders are risking their lives. That’s what they’re trained to do. And it works.”

Meteorologists said damaging winds and flash flooding would continue as Beryl moves inland.

With parts of the region suffering from a heat wave, restoring power is urgently needed, even though temperatures have cooled somewhat due to the storm.

The National Hurricane Center said Monday evening that Beryl had further weakened to a tropical depression before moving eastward, threatening several other states.

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It is forecast to weaken further on Tuesday and become a post-tropical cyclone.

As it moved inland, the storm threatened to spawn tornadoes, and the U.S. National Weather Service confirmed on social media that tornadoes had been spotted in northeast Louisiana.