Hurricane Beryl tracker: Over 2 million without power as deadly storm batters Texas
Tropical Storm Beryl is tearing across Texas after making landfall in the state as a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning.
At least two people have been killed by fallen trees and more than 2 million customers are without power across Texas due to torrential rain and powerful winds.
Hurricane Beryl first killed at least seven people in the Windward Islands before skirting south of Jamaica, shutting down communications, stranding tourists and delivering storm surge and flooding rain to the island.
Latest Developments
Jul 8, 4:06 PM
Sugar Land 'weathered the storm as well as we could'
In Sugar Land, Texas, just outside of Houston, Beryl has dumped 5 to 10 inches of rain and knocked out power to most of the population, according to Mayor Joe Zimmerman.
"The hurricane passed almost right over us," Zimmerman told ABC News Live.
But he added, "We were ready."
"We had activated our emergency operations center yesterday at noon. We had staff on two, 12-hour shifts, and that staff was able to keep everything up and running," he said.
"It was a considerable wind event. We've got trees down, we've got branches down, we've got inlets clogged up," the mayor said. "But we've got crews out there, we've got our public works crews out there, police, fire, EMS, everybody's available. I think Sugar Land weathered the storm as well as we could."
Flooded Road at the 18700 block of Wallisville Rd. Please stay home and do NOT drive on a flooded road. #HouNews#HouWXpic.twitter.com/FZjuccSAZ8
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) July 8, 2024
Jul 8, 3:53 PM
5 to 9 inches of rain inundates Houston area
Tropical Storm Beryl has inundated the Houston area with 5 to 9 inches of rain as it continues to slam east Texas with flooding and gusty winds.
Wind gusts reached 84 mph in Houston and 94 mph in Freeport, Texas.
Beryl has also brought tornadoes to east Texas. A tornado watch is in effect through Monday night in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.
The storm will steadily weaken through the afternoon. Beryl was the earliest in the season hurricane to make landfall in Texas since Bonnie in 1986.
-ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke
Jul 8, 3:30 PM
Beryl’s latest forecast
Beryl is expected to remain a tropical storm as its center passes near Lufkin in east Texas on Monday night.
By Tuesday morning, Beryl will reach Arkansas and is expected to weaken to a tropical depression.
Rain from Beryl will hit Indiana Tuesday morning and then move into Detroit Tuesday night.
Beryl’s remnants will then drop heavy rain in Vermont on Wednesday.
The rain will reach Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening and into Philadelphia and New York City overnight into Thursday morning. Flash flooding is possible.
Jul 8, 1:40 PM
2.7 million without power in Texas
Power has been knocked out to more than 2.7 million customers in Texas as Hurricane Beryl slams the state with powerful winds and torrential rain.
ABC Houston station KTRK briefly lost power in its newsroom Monday morning.
Our newsroom as of ~8AM. We’ve lost power. Our team is working hard to get back on the air ASAP #Hurricane@abc13houstonpic.twitter.com/GtQVVWsWbN
— Tom Abrahams (@TomAbrahams13) July 8, 2024
We are broadcasting live on Facebook. For the first time in over 30 years, severe weather has completely knocked ABC13 offline. pic.twitter.com/mEJEHowgmZ
— Cowgirl Conner 🤠 (@BrianaReports) July 8, 2024
Jul 8, 1:52 PM
Man rescued from truck submerged in floodwaters
Houston firefighters rescued a man who was trapped on his submerged truck as the floodwaters rapidly rose around him.
The rescuers dropped a life preserver ring to him and guided him to the shore.
WATER RESCUE: Watch as @FirefightersHOU saved a man stuck in flood waters on 288. He was taken to an ambulance and taken away. The wind is wicked. What a job by HFD to save his life. https://t.co/nIgab2rbabpic.twitter.com/ZBzEGSl0NC
— Nick Natario (@NickABC13) July 8, 2024
Eight people have been rescued in Houston so far, according to Houston police.
"Shelter in place -- do not put our first responders in further danger," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said at a news conference.
Jul 8, 11:14 AM
2 killed by fallen trees in Houston area
A 53-year-old man was killed by a fallen tree while riding out Hurricane Beryl with his family, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
The man, his wife and children were in a house in Atascocita in the Houston area when an oak tree fell on the roof, hitting the rafters, the sheriff said. The structure then fell on the man, killing him.
His wife and children were not hurt, the sheriff said Monday morning.
Hours later, the sheriff said a 74-year-old woman was killed when a tree fell on a home in Houston.
Jul 8, 11:09 AM
Biden receiving updates, FEMA prepared to respond
President Joe Biden is receiving regular updates on Beryl as the storm rips across Texas, according to a White House official.
Senior White House officials are in close contact with their state and local counterparts and employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are standing by to offer support, the official said.
"The U.S. Coast Guard and FEMA have prepositioned response personnel including search and rescue teams, and FEMA has staged bottled water, meals, tarps and electric generators in case they are needed," the official said.
Turn around.
Getting your vehicle trapped in water is not worth it.
📍610 South entrance ramp, Galleria area pic.twitter.com/6RIrhqHn5O— Brandon Hamilton (@ABC13Brandon) July 8, 2024
Jul 8, 11:09 AM
Up to 7 inches of rain pounds Houston, Galveston
Up to 7 inches of rain has pounded the Houston and Galveston areas so far and another 2 to 4 inches of rain is in the forecast for the next few hours.
The storm surge has topped 6 feet.
Wind gusts have reached a whopping 94 mph in Freeport, Texas; 82 mph in Galveston Bay, Texas; and 84 mph at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport.
Flood warnings and tornado warnings are in effect in the Houston area through Monday afternoon.
Tornadoes have also been reported.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Jul 8, 11:25 AM
Beryl weakens to tropical storm
Beryl weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm late Monday morning after making landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane.
Jul 8, 11:13 AM
Serious accidents, transformer fires reported
Hurricane Beryl has caused serious accidents, transformer fires and downed power lines in Spring, Texas, near Houston, according to the Spring Fire Department.
Spring is under a flash flood warning until 1 p.m. local time.