Hurricane Beryl hits Mexico, brings heavy rain and strong winds
Hurricane Beryl arrived in Mexico after leaving destruction and 11 people dead in the Caribbean.
Texans were bracing for Tropical Storm Beryl’s approach with virtually the entire coastline under a hurricane watch on Saturday, ahead of its predicted landfall as a potentially damaging hurricane.
The storm, previously a hurricane when it barreled through Jamaica and the Caribbean earlier this week and made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday morning, has left at least 11 people dead in its wake. It weakened to a tropical storm as it moved across the Yucatan but is expected to strengthen again to a hurricane as it makes its way toward Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“This is a determined storm that is still strong,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at a news briefing on Friday.
At 7 a.m. Texas local time, Beryl was about 495 miles southeast of Corpus Christi in the Gulf of Mexico and was traveling west-northwest at 12 mph. It’s expected to turn to the northwest on Saturday, then north-northwest by Sunday night and reach the Texas coast late Sunday or early Monday after re-strengthening as a Category 1 hurricane.
Its winds were up to 60 mph Saturday morning, with higher gusts. Little strengthening is expected Saturday, but the storm should intensify Sunday.
A hurricane watch stretched from the mouth of the Rio Grande all the way to San Luis Pass. The northeastern coast of mainland Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande was also under a hurricane watch. A storm surge watch was also in place from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to High Island. Additional watches and warnings are likely, the hurricane center said.
A stunning storm: As Hurricane Beryl tears through the Caribbean, a look at its record-breaking path
Key developments:
∎ At least 11 people were killed in Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and northern Venezuela after Beryl tore through, officials have said. There were no casualties in Mexico.
∎ Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record. With its rapid intensification, Beryl became a hurricane within 24 hours of formation. Within another 24 hours, its winds had increased 55 mph, reaching 130 mph, almost a Category 4 hurricane.
∎ Schools near Texas’ coast canceled class activities on Monday, including the Corpus Christi and West Oso school districts. Del Mar College will close its campus on Monday, while Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi will shift to remote status.
How ocean temps have fueled Beryl: Hurricane super-charged by warm seas
As Beryl strengthens over the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said Texans will already be feeling its impact Saturday ahead of its arrival.
“The exact location of Beryl’s landfall is uncertain at this point, but what’s most important is that heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surge are expected for much of the state’s coastline and portions of the central Gulf Coast beginning tonight into Sunday,” the Weather Prediction Center said early Saturday.
Swells and “life-threatening” surf and rip currents caused by the storm are also not far off.
Tropical storm conditions are expected to start hitting Texas’ coast on Sunday night.
Multiple large urban areas in Texas, including Houston, Austin and San Antonio, lie in the storm’s broad path of projection, and it’s still uncertain exactly where the hurricane will pass through. Most of the state will feel at least some impacts from the storm.
The weather service in Corpus Christi also said south Texas should prepare for power outages.
About 3 to 5 feet of storm surge is likely around areas along the coast, and “the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves,” the hurricane center said. The storm surge will impact areas from Baffin Bay to San Luis Pass, Corpus Christi Bay, Matagorda Bay, between the mouth of the Rio Grande to Baffin Bay, San Luis Pass to High Island and Galveston Bay.
Heavy rain and flash flooding are some of the greatest threats, forecasters warned. About 5 to 10 inches of rain and up to 15 inches in some areas will inundate the Texas Gulf Coast and parts of eastern Texas starting late Sunday and into next week. Flooding is likely wherever Beryl passes, Patrick said.
Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Doyle Rice and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY; Cross Harris and Alexis Simmerman, the Austin American-Statesman; Reuters
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.
