Tropical Storm Beryl strikes Houston
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Tree damage from Tropical Storm Beryl in downtown Houston. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Beryl made landfall south of Houston on Monday morning.
Threat level: Power outages are widespread in the Houston metro area and may spread inland as the slowly weakening storm moves northward.
- Beryl made landfall around 4am Monday as a Category 1 hurricane near Matagorda.
- The storm is producing "Life-threatening storm surge and heavy rainfall" along with damaging winds along the coast that are moving inland, according to the National Hurricane Center.
- The NHC reported Monday morning that weather stations in Freeport and San Bernard recorded wind gusts up to 92 mph and 91 mph, respectively.
The latest: More than 2.2 million CenterPoint Energy customers are without power, a number that could grow as the storm continues to damage local power infrastructure.
Check out our 2024 Atlantic hurricane season tracker.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas Division of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd and Texas Public Utility Commission chairman Thomas Gleeson provided an update on the state's response to Beryl on Monday evening.
- "For those of you who are in the areas of Texas where the storm has passed through, do not take your safety for granted," Patrick said. "We still have power lines down, there are over 50 roads that are covered with water, some of them are unpassable."
- "We're not past any flooding, we're not past difficult conditions, but the storm by midnight will be beyond us."
Of note: Patrick is the acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is on a weeklong trip to Taiwan, South Korea and Japan to meet with leaders on economic development opportunities.
State of play: "This will be a multi-day restoration effort," Gleeson said. "I ask Texans for their patience as the crews are out there doing their best to restore energy across the state."
- Patrick said Centerpoint has 11,500 workers coming from across Texas and other states to help with restoration as more than 2 million of its customers are without power.
Officials urged residents to not approach downed power lines, be careful about using generators and candles indoors, and avoid driving after dark if possible.
What's next: Tornadoes are possible tonight across parts of East Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, according to the National Hurricane Center, as well as an additional 4 to 8 inches of rainfall in those areas.
Schools announce Tuesday closures
School closures will continue into Tuesday because of power outages and debris.
What they're saying: "Due to widespread power outages and potential safety issues for TISD families and staff, Tomball ISD will be closed Tuesday, July 9, 2024," Tomball ISD officials said in a statement. "The closure includes all schools and facilities, summer school, camps, and activities."
- Other school districts that have announced Tuesday closures include Aldine, Alief, Brazosport, Clear Creek, Crosby, Cypress-Fairbanks, Fort Bend, Houston, Humble, Klein, Lamar, Pearland, Spring, Spring Branch and Sweeny, the Houston Chronicle reported.
- The University of Houston and Rice have yet to announce whether classes will be canceled Tuesday.
The latest: At least one tornado touched in Jasper, and the National Weather Service forecasters issued tornado warnings across eastern Texas on Monday afternoon.