Houston-area official urges residents to shelter from Beryl until noon Monday

Residents of Harris County, Texas, should shelter in place from midnight to noon Monday as Beryl moves through the area, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Sunday.

Hidalgo’s recommendation covers Houston and its 2.3 million residents.

“We’re talking about a hurricane that’s over 200 miles in diameter,” Hidalgo said at a news conference Sunday night. “The next 24 hours are going to be tough for Harris County. What we don’t know exactly is where and how bad.”

Hidalgo stressed that the impacts of Beryl, which is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall near Matagorda Bay late Sunday into early Monday, will be felt throughout the region beyond Harris County.

“We are on the dirtiest side of the hurricane, the hardest side,” Hidalgo said. The strongest winds, rain and storm surge are expected between midnight and noon Monday, she said.

Authorities expect the winds to be strong enough to damage fences, trees and electrical infrastructure, Hidalgo said. They do not expect them to be strong enough to knock down power lines or rip roofs off homes.

As for flooding from rain, Harris County is likely to see street flooding, Hidalgo said. Flooding in creeks and bayous is also possible, depending on how much rain falls and how quickly it falls.

“Here’s what you need to do. Just know that it’s going to be wet, it’s going to be windy and it’s going to be dangerous. Don’t go out between midnight and noon tomorrow,” Hidalgo said. “You should be where you need to be to weather the storm by 10 p.m. tonight.”

Hidalgo stressed that being outside during the 12-hour period when the impact is most severe can put your life and the lives of first responders at risk.

All county buildings will be closed Monday, Hidalgo said. That includes the courts and the tax office. Employees will work from home, if they can, Hidalgo said.

Hidalgo signs disaster declaration

Earlier Sunday evening, Hidalgo signed a disaster declaration for Harris County.

“The reason I did this is because it helps us put protective measures in place so that we can begin recovery and debris management efforts as quickly as possible after landing,” Hidalgo said at the news conference.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is serving as acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is traveling in East Asia, also included Harris County in his list of state disaster declarations, Hidalgo noted.

Latest NWS Updates

Meteorologists are closely monitoring Beryl to determine when it will make landfall. Outer rain bands and storm surge have already impacted southeast Texas, forecasters said.

Beryl is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall Sunday night into Monday morning.

Hurricane-force winds could reach 75 to 100 mph (120 to 160 km/h) in Matagorda, Jackson, Wharton and Brazoria counties, forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Houston said. Tropical storm-force winds are expected in the rest of the region. The winds will arrive as early as Sunday night and continue through Monday.

Moderate to heavy rain will continue to fall across the region through Monday, forecasters said. Rainfall totals of 4 to 10 inches are expected, with heavier amounts possible through Tuesday.

In anticipation of Beryl’s impacts, authorities stressed the importance of being prepared by having enough supplies, including water, on hand, as well as charging mobile phones in case of power outages and refueling cars.