Beryl aftermath: Biden approves disaster declaration for Texas
President Joe Biden has approved a federal emergency disaster declaration for Hurricane Beryl recovery.
Beryl, now a post-tropical cyclone, is expected to continue to move northeastward Wednesday and bring severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and flooding to parts of the Midwest, eastern Great Lakes and Northeast, according to the National Weather Service.
Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is expected across portions of the southern Great Lakes into central and northern New York and New England through Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center. A few tornadoes are also possible Wednesday, mainly over western and central New York.
According to the NWS, the flash flooding threat will be greater over parts of northeastern New York into northern Vermont and New Hampshire, while thunderstorms could be severe in some parts of the Lower Great Lakes.
Beryl unleashed a barrage of severe weather to southeast Texas on Monday, killing at least four people, flooding highways, closing oil ports, canceling more than 1,300 flights, and knocking out power to more than 2.7 million homes and businesses.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Beryl, the season’s earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, weakened from a hurricane after pounding the coastal Texas town of Matagorda, a coastal community between Corpus Christi and Galveston. It had sustained winds of more than 80 mph as it made landfall at 4 a.m. CT.
Last week, Beryl carved a path of destruction across the Caribbean — leaving at least 11 people dead and destroying or severely damaging infrastructure on several islands. Beryl, which at one point strengthened into the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, last made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Friday morning.
Beryl tornado warnings: Beryl produced so many tornado warnings it broke a record
Beryl path tracker
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Beryl spaghetti models
Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.
Beryl watches and warnings
According to the National Hurricane Center, a Flood Watch is in effect for portions of:
- Illinois
- Northern Indiana
- Southern Michigan
- Central and Northern New York
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Maine
Contributing: Doyle Rice, Thao Nguyen, Cheryl McCloud, Christopher Cann, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Jorge L. Ortiz and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
