Tropical Storm Beryl is moving north and is expected to hit the Houston area starting today

HOUSTON (KIAH) — Tropical Storm Beryl is preparing to make landfall off the coast of Texas, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to southeast Texas and the Houston area.

Sunday’s forecast shows the storm is expected to make landfall near Matagorda later Sunday evening, with the potential to intensify into a hurricane.

Coastal Brazoria and Galveston counties have issued hurricane warnings, while inland counties in the Houston area (primarily those west of I-45) remain on flood alert, as 5 to 10 inches of rainfall is expected in the region starting Sunday and continuing through Tuesday.

Forecasters also say it is possible that a few tornadoes could begin to form in some of the rain bands starting Sunday afternoon.

Galveston County prepares for storm

On Saturday, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry issued a disaster declaration for the county in anticipation of Tropical Storm Beryl.

The storm’s impact will be felt Sunday, as tropical storm-force winds are expected Sunday before landfall, with the potential for hurricane-force winds Sunday night or Monday morning.

As for surf conditions, wave heights could reach 5 to 10 feet from Sunday night into Monday.

With these potential weather threats, access to the Galveston-Bolivar ferry and Highway 87 could be temporarily interrupted from Sunday evening through Monday.

Voluntary Evacuations in Matagorda County

Mitch Thames, a Matagorda County spokesman, said officials have issued a voluntary evacuation request for coastal areas of the county about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Houston.

“Our number one goal is the health and safety of all our visitors and of course our residents. I’m not so much worried about our residents. The people who live there are used to it, they understand it,” Thames said.

Preparations are underway in the Houston area

With Beryl bringing high winds to the Houston area, power outages could occur in the Houston area as the storm moves through southeast Texas.

CenterPoint Energy reminds all customers to develop an emergency plan and assemble a hurricane preparedness kit that includes essential items such as non-perishable food items, water, flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, any necessary medications, a battery-powered radio and a portable charger for mobile devices.