The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued multiple warnings Monday as Hurricane Beryl barrels toward Texas as a “life-threatening” storm.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall shortly after 3:00 a.m. Monday morning along the middle Texas coast, stretching from Mesquite Bay to Sabine Pass, according to the NHC. Forecasters warned of “life-threatening storm surge inundation” as “damaging hurricane-force winds” hit an area including Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay.
Flash and urban flooding is expected throughout Monday and into Tuesday across the Gulf Coast of Texas, with some potential for minor river flooding. Radar imagery shared online by Windy showed Beryl’s path, adding that extreme rainfall is also anticipated throughout southern Texas.
🌀Hurricane Beryl Made Landfall Nearby Matagorda,TX🇺🇸
⛈️The hurricane continues to #Houston and further north. The HRRR forecast in the thread shows extreme rainfall accumulation along the projected path of the hurricane/storm.
🛰️Imagery of Radar+ layer (@NOAA Radar +… pic.twitter.com/46VMKAac5m
— Windy.com (@Windycom) July 8, 2024
Extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer told followers that Beryl is packing a “surprisingly intense backside” in Sargent Beach at around 7:30 a.m. Monday. (RELATED: Get Ready For A Category 6 Hurricane, But Not In The Way You Think)
He later added that the storm surge is likely a “counter surge from Matagorda Bay squeezed into the channel between” the beach and mainland, sharing additional footage.
A group of men board up a restaurant in Port Lavaca, Texas, on July 7, 2024, as they prepare for the arrival of tropical storm Beryl. Coastal Texas was under hurricane and storm surge warnings on Sunday, as the southern US state braced for the approach of Beryl, which was threatening to make landfall as a hurricane. (Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – JULY 07: (L-R) Dane Allen and Randy Davis board up apartments ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl’s arrival on July 07, 2024 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Tropical Storm Beryl is projected to strengthen into a hurricane by its arrival on Texas shores. The storm is situated southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and is projected to intensify with the possibility of rainfall flooding, accelerated winds, and tornados. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“Potent backside of Hurricane Beryl,” he noted.
INTENSE back eye wall of Hurricane Beryl is really packing a PUNCH in Sargent Beach, Texas with this incredibly rapid storm surge flow over the main road out of town. Surprisingly intense backside! @localmanweather pic.twitter.com/En3eDxUUki
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) July 8, 2024
I believe this jaw dropping flow / storm surge is counter surge from Matagorda Bay squeezed into the channel between Sargent Beach and the main land. This is incredible flow velocity over the main road out of Sargent. Potent backside of Hurricane Beryl pic.twitter.com/OPAeyUWKmr
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) July 8, 2024
Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 season, having rapidly strengthened to a Category 5 storm in early July, according to Climate.gov. The system made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in Texas and will likely bring heavy rainfall throughout the U.S. in coming days, Weather.com reported. (RELATED: Forecasters Issue Warning Ahead Of Intense Summer Weather)
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – JULY 07: A homeless couple prepares to seek shelter ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl’s arrival on July 07, 2024 in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The current path of Beryl takes her east of Dallas-Fort Worth and Waco, before moving further east through Fort Smith, Arkansas, Tuesday, according to the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast at the time of writing.
