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Texans braced for the approach of Tropical Storm Beryl with nearly the entire coast under a hurricane watch Saturday, ahead of its expected arrival as a potentially devastating storm.
The storm, which was previously a hurricane when it hit Jamaica and the Caribbean earlier this week and made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Friday morning, has killed at least 11 people. The hurricane has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves through the Yucatan but is expected to strengthen back into a hurricane as it heads toward Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“This is a storm that is designed to be powerful,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at a news conference Friday.
At 10 a.m. Texas time, Beryl was about 460 miles southeast of Corpus Christi in the Gulf of Mexico and was traveling west-northwest at 12 mph. IIt is expected to turn northwest on Saturday, then northwest by Sunday night and reach the Texas coast late Sunday or early Monday after re-strengthening as a Category 1 hurricane.
Winds were gusting to 60 mph Saturday, with higher gusts. The storm is expected to pick up slightly on Saturday, but is expected to intensify on Sunday.
A hurricane warning extended from the mouth of the Rio Grande to the San Luis Pass. On Saturday, the National Hurricane Center also issued a tropical storm warning for the Texas coast south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
The northeastern coast of Mexico from Barra El Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande was also under a tropical storm watch. A storm surge watch was in effect from the mouth of the Rio Grande north to High Island. The hurricane center said more watches and warnings were likely.
Braille Tracker:See projected path, spaghetti models of path to Texas.
Amazing Storm:As Hurricane Beryl lashes the Caribbean, here’s a look at its record-breaking path
Key developments:
∎ At least 11 people have been killed in Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and northern Venezuela after Hurricane Beryl swept through those countries, officials said. There were no casualties in Mexico.
∎ Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, became the first Category 5 hurricane ever. Rapidly intensifying, Beryl became a hurricane within 24 hours of forming. Within another 24 hours, its winds had increased by 55 mph, reaching 130 mph, nearly a Category 4 hurricane.
∎ Schools near the Texas coast canceled in-class activities Monday, including the Corpus Christi and West Oso school districts. Del Mar College will close its campus Monday, while Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi will switch to remote learning.
How ocean temperatures contributed to the feeding of beryl:Hurricane strengthened by warm sea
Beryl’s effects may begin to appear Saturday in Texas.
As Hurricane Beryl strengthens over the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters say Texans will already feel its impact Saturday before it arrives.
“The exact location of Beryl’s landfall is uncertain at this point, but most importantly, heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms are expected across much of the state’s coast and parts of the central Gulf Coast starting tonight through Sunday,” according to the Weather Prediction Center. He said Early Saturday.
The storm’s high waves and life-threatening ocean currents are not far away.
Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin hitting the Texas coast Sunday night.
What areas of Texas are in the Beryl Trail?
Several large metropolitan areas in Texas, including Houston, Austin and San Antonio, are in the storm’s broad path, and it’s still uncertain where the hurricane will pass. Most of the state will feel at least some of the storm’s impact.
South Texas should brace for power outages, the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi said.
The hurricane center said storm surges of three to five feet were likely around areas along the coast, and that “the wave height will be large and destructive.” The storm will affect areas from Baffin Bay to San Luis Pass, Corpus Christi Bay, Matagorda Bay, the mouth of the Rio Grande to Baffin Bay, San Luis Pass to High Island and Galveston Bay.
Forecasters warned that heavy rains and flash flooding pose some of the most serious threats. Rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, and up to 15 inches in some areas, is expected to inundate the Texas Gulf Coast and parts of East Texas starting late Sunday and into next week. Patrick said flooding is likely wherever Beryl passes.
Contributing: Sybil Mayes-Osterman, Doyle Rice and Dina Voyles-Pulver, USA TODAY; Cross Harris and Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman; Reuters
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