Beryl Brings Damaging Winds, Flooding, Tornado Risk to Houston

Beryl is expected to move inland through Monday, bringing a triple threat of wind, rain and tornadoes to Southeast Texas. Each section of this forecast will focus on the wind, rain and tornado risks associated with Beryl along the coast, in the Houston area and near and north of Conroe.

SEE BERYL’S PATH: You can see where Beryl is currently and where it is forecast to go using our Texas hurricane and tropical storm tracker.

Houston Area: As Beryl moves just west of Houston, sustained winds of 25 to 40 mph are expected. Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph are likely across much of the Houston area, with wind gusts reaching 70 mph for a brief period.

Sustained winds will continue to strengthen through 8 a.m. Peak wind gusts will likely occur between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. After that, sustained winds and gusts are expected to gradually decrease as Beryl moves away from Houston. Occasional gusts of up to 30 or 40 mph are still possible in Houston through 7 p.m. The window for 70 mph wind gusts is only a few hours in the Houston area, but it will be enough time for power outages to occur.

North of Houston: Beryl is expected to track north-northeast through Monday morning. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph are likely from Conroe to Huntsville, with sustained gusts of 40 mph. Wind gusts are expected to reach 60 to 70 mph for about an hour.

Track failures: You can track power outages as Beryl moves through Texas by visiting the Texas Power Outage Tracker.

The window for strong, sustained winds and wind gusts will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The highest risk of wind gusts and power outages is expected to be between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Winds are expected to decrease through Monday evening, although wind gusts up to 30 mph may persist through 7 p.m.

South of Houston: Areas along the immediate coast will see the strongest winds through Monday morning. Sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph are expected near and southwest of Jackson Lake for a few hours, and wind gusts up to 80 mph will also be possible during this time.

The window of strong winds and wind gusts is expected to close around 9 a.m. Due to the increased risk of strong winds here, power outages are likely to be more widespread. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph are expected to persist through early Monday afternoon, extending the window for power outages.

The National Weather Service office for the Houston and Galveston metropolitan areas has placed its entire coverage area under a flood watch through Tuesday morning. Heavy rainfall will be expected throughout the day Monday, no matter where you are in Southeast Texas. Here’s what you can expect.

KNOW YOUR AREA: If you are unsure whether or not you live in a flood zone, be sure to check out the Texas flood map and tracker here.

Houston Area: Rainfall totals of 6 to 8 inches are likely near and south of Interstate 10 in Greater Houston. Rainfall in northern Harris County could be a bit lighter, but not by much. Flooding on urban streets will be likely, so if you can work from home and avoid driving, take advantage of that flexibility. If you must drive, remember to turn around and seek alternate routes if you encounter flooded streets.

North of Houston: Areas north of Houston and Harris County could see up to 6 inches of rain by Monday night. Higher totals locally are possible, but they will likely be isolated occurrences. All eyes will be on the San Jacinto and Trinity rivers, which overflowed in the spring when more than 600 percent of normal rainfall occurred in parts of Trinity and Walker counties.

South of Houston: The heaviest rainfall will occur along the coast. In this area, which extends from Galveston Island to the eastern end of Matagorda Bay, up to 12 inches of rain could fall. Locally heavier rainfall, up to 15 inches, will be possible in this area.

The risk of tornadoes will be quite significant throughout the region for most of the day Monday. Tornado warnings are expected throughout the day as Beryl moves toward East Texas by Monday night. Tornadoes are always a risk when tropical storms or hurricanes land. While they tend to be weaker and shorter-lived, they can happen very quickly with virtually no warning. Have a way to receive severe weather alerts and be sure to act immediately if a tornado warning is issued for your area.

By Monday night, conditions in southeast Texas are expected to improve. Rain and wind are likely to continue intermittently through Monday night, but the worst of Beryl’s wrath in Houston is expected to be over by 7 p.m.