FOLLOW US

Beryl made landfall along the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane at 4 a.m. on Monday, unleashing severe weather as it moved inland before weakening into a tropical storm. 

With sustained winds of over 80 mph, Beryl struck near Matagorda, a coastal community situated between Corpus Christi and Galveston, according to the National Hurricane Center.

More than five hours after landfall, Beryl weakened to a tropical storm, continuing its inland trajectory with sustained winds at 70 mph. 

The storm uprooted trees and knocked over power poles, leaving a trail of destruction and impacting the power grid. 

According to CenterPoint Energy over 2.1 million customers were left without power in eastern Texas. It remains unclear how many Houston customers have lost power. 

Hurricane Beryl: Category 5 Hurricane Brings Devastation to the Caribbean - USA Herald

Hitwoman in a hijab: The Failed Murder Plot Across the Atlantic - USA Herald

ICON Construction Technology: Transforming Housing with 3D Printing - USA Herald

Ports Closed at Condition Zulu

In response to the storm, multiple ports in cities from Houston to Corpus Christi were either closed or faced vessel traffic restrictions. The ports of Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, Freeport, and Texas City all shut down after U.S. Coast Guard captains set condition "Zulu" on Sunday.

Flight Cancellations

The storm wreaked havoc on air travel, with nearly 1,000 arriving and departing flights canceled at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, according to FlightAware. 

William P. Hobby Airport, a smaller Houston airport, saw over 225 cancellations. United Airlines, for which Houston is a major hub, suffered the worst operational impacts, with about 14% of its flights (around 400 departures) canceled on Monday.

Loss of Life

Tragically, the storm has claimed lives.

In a suburban part of Harris County, northeast of Houston, a man was killed when a tree fell on his home, trapping him under debris. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez reported on X.

The Sheriff described the incident as "tragic."  In northern Harris County, another tree fell onto a house, killing a 74-year-old woman, according to Gonzalez.

Last week, Beryl carved a path of destruction across the Caribbean, leaving at least 11 people dead and severely damaging infrastructure on several islands. At its peak, Beryl was the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record before making landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula last Friday. It then weakened to a tropical storm and later regained strength before hitting Texas.