Hurricane Beryl downgraded to tropical storm after hitting Texas with 100 mph winds: Live tracker updates

A 53-year-old man was killed during Hurricane Beryl after a tree fell on his home outside Houston, authorities said.

Authorities in Harris County, Texas, said the unnamed man died after being pinned under debris, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez Monday morning.

The 53-year-old man was sitting in his home in the 20900 block of Heather Grove Court in Kings River Village in Humble, Texas, with his family, waiting out the storm. An oak tree fell on the roof and hit the rafters, causing the structure to collapse on the man, the sheriff said.

His wife and children were unharmed.

Gonzalez said firefighters were on scene and he was trying to get to the house.

Beryl hit Texas early Monday after wreaking havoc in the Caribbean. The storm brought wind gusts of more than 100 mph and dangerous storm surge to the Lone Star state. Videos and photos on social media showed winds tearing apart homes and uprooting trees.

More than 2 million customers are without power in the Houston area as Beryl’s eye moves toward the state’s largest city.

High winds, flooded roads and toppled trees led to downed power lines and power outages.

Electricity company CenterPoint Energy warned residents to stay away from power lines: “If you see a downed power line, assume it is live and stay at least 30 feet away.”

The company also advises against standing or driving through floodwaters “as they can potentially carry electrical current from downed power lines.”

Beryl is heading for Texas.

Residents along the upper Texas Gulf Coast and eastern part of the state should prepare for flash flooding today and tonight, while strong wind gusts could hit Houston this afternoon.

Officials also warned Texas beachgoers to be cautious of rip currents due to the threatening conditions.

While many communities, islands and countries experienced some of the worst conditions Beryl has had to offer, from its peak as a deadly Category 5 hurricane to its continued strength as a tropical storm.

However, AccuWeather reporters believe there are still plenty of other named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater) to come.

Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s chief hurricane expert, said it would only take a week or two for sea surface temperatures to rebound from Beryl, meaning the risk of new tropical threats in the Gulf of Mexico will be heightened.

“We have been concerned about this hurricane season and the risks to the Texas coast since AccuWeather first issued its forecast in March. Water temperatures in much of the Gulf of Mexico are essentially as warm as a bathtub. These warm waters are at the surface and extend hundreds of feet below the surface. Warm waters act as fuel for hurricanes and it won’t be long before temperatures rise again after Beryl,” DaSilva said.

“We will be monitoring the Gulf of Mexico and the Texas coast very closely for additional tropical threats this summer. AccuWeather is forecasting 20 to 25 named storms and four to six direct landfalls in the United States this season.”

Meanwhile, NOAA’s National Weather Service forecasters predicted a total of 17 to 25 named storms this year in the Atlantic in May, with 8 to 13 expected to become hurricanes.

A second person has died after a tree fell in dangerously strong winds that have already killed another person a few kilometres away.

A 74-year-old grandmother was struck after a tree fell on her residence in the 17400 block of Rustic Canyon Trail in Houston, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on social media.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim’s grandson called authorities after a tree fell through the roof of his grandmother’s bedroom.

“Please keep his family in your prayers,” Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman wrote on social media.

It comes hours after another person died in Humble after a tree fell on a home and a man was pinned under debris.

The 53-year-old man was reportedly sitting in his home with his family waiting out the storm when an oak tree fell on the roof and hit the rafters, causing the structure to collapse on the man, the sheriff said.

His wife and children were unharmed.