Beryl heads toward Houston as experts warn storm could intensify

Texas officials urged coastal residents to brace for the approaching storm Beryl, which is expected to regain hurricane strength as it moves through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to potentially strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane when it hits the Houston area Monday morning, according to Reuters. It is expected to regain strength as it moves northwest over the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. National Hurricane Center says.

“We expect Beryl to intensify until landfall early Monday, and people should prepare for the possibility of a Category 2 hurricane,” the NHC said in its statement.

This will make Beryl the first Atlantic hurricane to hit the United States during the 2024 summer-fall hurricane season.

The storm has led to closures or restrictions on shipping traffic at several ports, stretching from Houston to Corpus Christi, which is the main hub for U.S. crude oil exports. The closures could potentially disrupt crude oil exports, shipments to refineries and fuel production at those facilities.

As of Saturday night, Beryl was about 330 miles (535 kilometers) southeast of Corpus Christi and had sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving northwest at 12 mph (20 kph), the Associated Press reported.

State officials issued disaster declarations for 40 counties ahead of the storm’s arrival.

Earlier this week, the storm, which briefly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, caused widespread damage across the Caribbean. It swept through Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and brought heavy rains to northern Venezuela. The storm killed at least 11 people, damaged buildings and caused power outages by toppling power lines and trees.

Beryl’s latest storm made landfall Friday as it moved through Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, causing power outages in some areas. Fortunately, major beach destinations were largely spared and no casualties were reported. Video footage showed Cancun’s international airport packed with tourists Saturday as they postponed flights home after the storm passed.