Floods, tornadoes, and fallen debris continue to be major concerns as Tropical Strom Beryl continues to move through East Texas.
A tornado watch is in effect until 10 p.m. CT, for several Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas counties, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), and with tornado warnings have recently popped up on both sides of the Sabine River.
NHC Director Dr. Michael Brennan said in a video update that the tornado threat is expected to travel northward with the storm up along the Texas/Louisiana border through the night.
Meanwhile, Houston and much of coastal southeast Texas continue to suffer flooding and power outages, with CenterPoint Energy reporting more than two million customers without power.
Texas Department of Transportation posted on X that its crews are out on the scene trying to clear away fallen trees amid the rain and wind. However, several roads remain flooded around Houston.
Authorities told the Associated Press that two people have been killed after trees fell on their homes. One was a man from Humble, a Houston suburb, and the other was a woman in Harris County.
Moderate to major flooding continues in Houston, and minor to moderate flooding is being reported in communities lining creeks and rivers that are in Beryl’s path.
Flood warnings and watches also extend northeast past Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri, covering much of southern Missouri and southern Illinois up to Indiana. According to the NWS, the flood watch will remain in effect until July 10.
A storm surge warning is still active for Galveston Bay and the surrounding coastline.
Beryl hit Texas in the early morning hours of July 8 as a Category 1 hurricane but was downgraded to a tropical storm by 10 a.m. CT, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). As of 1 p.m. CT, the NHC reports Beryl has weakened even more.
It is now 55 miles north of Houston, and moving 14 mph north-northeast with sustained winds of 60 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend 115 miles out from its center, and the National Ocean Service station near the entrance of Galveston Bay recorded sustained winds of 46 mph.
The NHC also issued a warning for people to “use caution after the storm as deadly hazards remain, including downed powerlines.” It also warned against carbon monoxide poisoning, which can result from improper generator use.
A White House official confirmed earlier today that President Joe Biden is receiving regular updates on the storm, and senior White House officials remain in close contact with state and local counterparts.
FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard have also prepositioned search and rescue teams and other response personnel. FEMA, which activated its National Response Coordination Center on July 7 to support local response efforts, also staged bottled water, meals, tarpaulins, and electric generators.
Texas’ Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd will provide a hurricane response update at 5 p.m. CT on July 8.
Mr. Patrick has been serving as acting governor over the past few days while Gov. Greg Abbott is in South Korea on an economic development mission.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
