Hurricane Beryl has knocked out power for more than 2.3 million Texas customers, as of 10:27 a.m. Monday, based on estimates from PowerOutage.us and CenterPoint Energy.
Outages are most extensive in the Houston area and coastal counties including Matagorda, where Beryl landed as a Category 1 hurricane at approximately 4 a.m. Monday morning. Significant outages are also in Galveston County, Calhoun County and Jackson County. As the morning progressed, outages extended further inland and into Deep East Texas to areas including Polk, San Jacinto, Montgomery, Grimes and Washington Counties.
Most of the outages are among customers who receive power from CenterPointEnergy. CenterPoint is the main electricity provider for the vast majority of residents in Harris and Fort Bend counties and also provides electricity to dozens of East Texas communities. The provider is not currently providing county-specific numbers on outages.
At 10:27 a.m., PowerOutage.us reported that more than 1.9 million of CenterPoint’s 2.6 million Texas customers lacked electricity.
“As soon as safe to do so, you’ll see our crews headed out to start assessing damage and developing restoration plans,” CenterPoint said on social media platform X. The company warned people to stay away from downed wires and to not attempt to remove tree limbs or objects from power lines. Customers are instead advised to report outages and hazardous conditions to their power company or local authorities.
— Pooja Salhotra
Two people die in separate incidents after Beryl knocks trees onto residences, authorities say
July 8, 2024 at 10:59 a.m.
Two people have died and another was injured after Hurricane Beryl downed trees in separate Houston neighborhoods near George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Harris County.
The Atascocita Fire Department responded to a call about a fallen tree at approximately 6:30 a.m., according to Jerry Dilliard, the department’s spokesperson. Two people were at the residence, and one was deceased at the scene. The second person was transported to the hospital and their condition is currently unclear.
“One person was trapped under a ceiling in a part of the house that the tree had fallen on,” Dilliard said.
In an email, Harris County Sheriff’s Office senior deputy Thomas Gilliland confirmed the death, noting that a tree fell on a house and a man was trapped under debris.
“That tragic incident is being worked by our personnel,” Gilliland wrote.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales said on X that the deceased person is a 53-year-old man who was “sitting in a house with family, riding out the storm.”
Gonzales also reported hours later that a tree fell on a residence in the neighborhood of Rustic Canyon Trail in Houston, causing to the death of a 74-year-old woman.
— Pooja Salhotra and Stephen Simpson
Houston area sees heavy rains, flash floods as Beryl moves inland
July 8, 2024 at 10:39 a.m.
A wide swath of Texas is experiencing heavy winds and several inches of rain Monday as Hurricane Beryal move northeast across the state. At 10 a.m., the eye of the storm was located about 20 miles west of Houston and was moving northeastward at about 12 miles per hour, according to a National Hurricane Center advisory. Winds had slowed slightly to 70 miles per hour, down from the 80-mile-per-hour winds that hit Matagorda earlier in the morning.
The National Hurricane Center said that up to 10 inches of rain could fall in some places — and some isolated areas of the state may receive 15 inches. Some areas of Houston have already received nearly 10 inches of rainfall, according to data from the Harris County Flood Control District.
On Monday morning, local officials in the Houston area said the storm had downed trees and caused street flooding. In Rosenberg, a city 35 miles southwest of Houston, a downed tree hit a high water rescue vehicle returning from a rescue, police said on X. Officials urged residents to stay off roadways.
Some river flooding could also occur Monday, the National Hurricane Center warned. Beryl is expected to weaken from a hurricane to a tropical storm later on Monday.
Tornadoes are also possible across along the upper Texas coast and across parts of East Texas on Monday.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Sunday that Texans living east of Interstate 35 could bear the brunt of the storm.
“Residents sheltering in place should take precautions right away for sustained wind, heavy rain, flooding, storm surges on the coast, and possible tornados,” Patrick said.
— Pooja Salhotra and Brandon Formby
Beryl makes landfall in Texas as Category 1 hurricane
July 8, 2024 at 5:37 a.m.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda around 4 a.m. Monday as a Category 1 Hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm strengthened through Sunday evening and had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour when it came ashore. A 5 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center warned about life-threatening storm surge and inland flooding Monday.
Hundreds of thousands of Texans are without power, including many in coastline counties such as Brazoria and Matagorda, according to PowerOutage.us. The full scope of the storm’s damage is not yet clear — and it could cause more Monday as it moves northeast through the state.
The hurricane center said the coast was experiencing life-threatening storm surge. It also warned of flash floods throughout the southeastern portion of the state as the storm continues moving inland, bringing five to 10 inches of rain to some areas — or up to 15 inches in some isolated places.
Category 1 storms primarily damage unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery and trees. They can also do extensive damage to electricity lines and cause power outages that last several days.
— Pooja Salhotra
What should I do after a hurricane hits?
July 8, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.
Stay away from flood waters and damaged power lines. Don’t enter damaged buildings. Take photos and document damages to your home or property. Residents are also encouraged to document their storm damages and losses through a state-run online survey to help state officials understand the extent of the damages.
Organizations like the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and local volunteer organizations can help you find food, shelter and supplies, as well as even assist you with clean-up efforts.
[How to navigate FEMA during this year’s hurricane season]
Government and community resources may be available to help with recovery. Disaster declarations from the governor and president may free up federal funds for recovery assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. People cannot receive disaster aid and insurance assistance for the same damages, so insured Texans should file claims through their existing policies before applying for FEMA assistance.
— Maria Probert Hermosillo and Pooja Salhotra
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/08/hurricane-beryl-texas-damage-updates-rain/.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
Photo: Ominous clouds accompany a heavy band of rain in Houston on July 7, 2024, the eve before Beryl made landfall on the Texas coast. Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Cornerstone in California 
US Home Insurance Still Priced Too Low for Climate Risk, Says Swiss Re Chair 
Allstate, Nationwide Post Dramatic Q12024 Homeowners Loss Ratio Drops: S&P 
AI and APIs: Essential Tools for Zurich Insurance Group’s Digital Leap 
