Closing summary
Hello US blog readers, it’s been a very intense morning for storm news as Beryl came ashore in Texas as a hurricane, and has since reduced to the level of a tropical storm. We’re going to close this live blog now but will keep the news updated via our main story, here.
It’s going to be a very busy summer for extreme weather and Guardian US will cover all the most significant events and the forces that may be influencing them, especially the climate crisis, where relevant. There will be blogs and news and analysis articles.
Here’s where things stand today:
More than 2 million people are affected by power outages as Beryl travels across Texas. Customers in the southeast part of the state are without power, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outage in the US.
One man in Texas is dead after a tree toppled by Hurricane Beryl fell on the man’s home, trapping him inside. In a post to X, Harris county sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed that a 53-year-old was killed while taking shelter from the hurricane at home with his family. An oak tree reportedly fell on the roof and knocked out rafters, which fell on him.
Utility companies have all hands on deck as the number of people affected by power outages has been growing all morning since Beryl made landfall and began its destructive path across Texas.
More than 1,775 flights were cancelled at US airports as Hurricane Beryl made landfall early today, creating hectic travel conditions as summer vacations continue. The George Bush Intercontinental airport in Houston had the greatest number of cancelled flights according to flightaware.com.
A tornado associated with Hurricane Beryl touched down in Galveston, on the Texas coast, early today, knocking over trees and destroying at least one home. Residents had been warned that the storm could spawn twister after coming ashore.
Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas early Monday with 75mph winds, near Houston, according to the US National Weather Service. The storm was moving north-west at 10mph and made landfall near Matagorda.
Beryl was already inundating parts of Texas overnight as coastal residents boarded up windows and beach towns were ordered to evacuate in preparation for a storm that has already cut a deadly path through parts of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Updated
Hurricane Beryl has produced more than 10in of rain across south-east Texas. Forecasters have warned such rainfall is causing dangerous flooding.
From Weather Track US:
TS #Beryl has already produced over 10" of rain across parts of Southeast Texas, causing considerable (locally catastrophic) flooding across the region, including the #Houston metro.
— Weather Track US (@weathertrackus) July 8, 2024
If you must travel, stay away from ANY flooded areas! Flooding is the number one cause of… pic.twitter.com/ZQYJBjk8HD
Updated
A man was rescued after his truck became submerged in flood waters caused by Hurricane Beryl.
The Houston fire department carried out the life-saving rescue on State Highway 288, a north-south highway in southeast Texas.
From KHOU-TV:
RESCUED! Houston Fire Department rescue team saves man trapped in his truck surrounded by floodwaters on Highway 288. #khou11 @FireChiefofHFD @FirefightersHOU @JMilesKHOU pic.twitter.com/xfAFHdUXhN
— The Bishop (@BillBishopKHOU) July 8, 2024
Updated
Drivers in Houston are battling flood waters and intense storm conditions as extreme weather from Hurricane Beryl continues.
Video posted to X shows the intense conditions for drivers traveling in Houston.
From MyRadar Weather:
Traffic is being directed through the far left lane on Interstate 69 in northeast #Houston due to flooding. (If backwards was an option, @MatthewCappucci would have taken it — authorities were sending folks through the left lane). A vehicle on the right appeared to have stalled. pic.twitter.com/prhfLXxfiH
— MyRadar Weather (@MyRadarWX) July 8, 2024
People on social media have posted images and footage of widespread damage in Texas caused by Hurricane Beryl.
Here’s footage of a damage in Galveston after high winds broke windows and the exterior of a building.
From meteorologist Molly McCollum with the Weather Channel:
Damage in Galveston, TX. This was on the back of the building where it was more protected from the strongest winds. pic.twitter.com/fS3UNuHEtW
— Molly McCollum (@WXMolly) July 8, 2024
Several homes were damaged in Surfside Beach by Hurricane Beryl, according to video from storm chaser Aaron Rigsby.
Multiple homes have been destroyed in Surfside from #Beryl #TXwx pic.twitter.com/iU6D9Flmur
— Aaron Rigsby (@AaronRigsbyOSC) July 8, 2024
Never before has a hurricane the strength of Beryl formed so early in the year, with scientists warning its arrival is an ominous sign in what’s expected to be a hyperactive hurricane season.
Extraordinarily hot sections of the Atlantic Ocean, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, helped supercharge Beryl from a tropical depression into a category 4 storm in just two days, before it strengthened further to a maximum category five event.
The Caribbean Sea, the region where Beryl has caused devastation, has already reached peak temperature about three months early, which is “absolutely crazy” according to Brian McNoldy, a climate scientist at the University of Miami.
Hotter water provides fuel for hurricanes, while extra moisture in the air helps unleash larger rain events, and both of these things are being caused by the climate crisis, resulting in fiercer, faster-developing storms. Last year was the hottest for the oceans, globally, ever recorded.
“Beryl would be pretty astounding to happen anyway, but for it to form in June is completely unprecedented,” McNoldy said. “It’s just remarkable to see sea temperatures this warm.”
A hurricane season stretching until November is expected to deliver eight to 13 hurricanes, much more than the usual seven, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Beryl is a worrying omen for the rest of the season,” McNoldy said. “This won’t be the last of these storms.”
Updated
More than 2 million now affected by power outages
More than 2 million people are affected by power outages as Hurricane Beryl travels across Texas.
Customers in the southeast part of Texas are without power, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outage in the US.
The latest power outage statistics come as swaths of the state are still affected by flooding and high winds.
Updated
The Texas governor, Greg Abbott, is receiving criticism from some online for posting about a business meeting in South Korea as Texas deals with extreme weather from Hurricane Beryl, the Houston Chronicle reported.
From the Chronicle:
While those on the Texas Gulf Coast awoke to the effects of Hurricane Beryl on Monday morning, Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted about a business meeting he had on his trip through Asia.
“Spent a very productive afternoon in Seoul,” he posted. “Met with @kita_net and business leaders from across South Korea to discuss economic opportunities in Texas to grow and succeed.“I also met with executives from SK Signet to thank them for their investments in Texas.”
The timing of the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, drew backlash from those in the storm.“Maybe now isn’t the best time to brag about how awesome your trip is,” replied one X user.
“Uh, hey, man... you think your timing is appropriate?,” wrote another.
Abbott is leading an economic development mission in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, organized by the Governor’s Economic Development & Tourism Office and the Texas Economic Development Corporation…
Read the full article here (paywall).
Updated
Roadways in Houston are closed amid extreme flooding caused by Hurricane Beryl, as drivers are warned to avoid travel if possible.
From Weather Nation:
Many roads around Houston are CLOSED right now due to flooding from Beryl.
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) July 8, 2024
Residents should avoid travel as much as possible until flooding and wind gusts begin to subside, likely during the afternoon or evening.#TXwx pic.twitter.com/VPq0yqYWcB
1,775 flights were cancelled at US airports as Hurricane Beryl made landfall early on Monday, creating hectic travel conditions as summer vacations continue.
The George Bush Intercontinental airport in Houston had the greatest number of cancelled flights according to flightaware.com, with 500 outbound cancellations, 452 inbound cancellations, and 19 flight delays as of Monday.
The William P Hobby airport, Houston’s second major airport, had 223 cancellations in total and 11 delays.
United Airlines had the most amount of flights cancellations, with 405 flights cancelled.
Updated
Man dies after tree toppled by hurricane falls on his home
A man in Texas is dead after a tree toppled by Hurricane Beryl fell on the man’s home, trapping him inside.
In a post to X, Harris county sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed that a 53-year-old man was killed while taking shelter from the hurricane at home with his family. An oak tree reportedly fell on the home’s roof and knocked over rafters, which fell on the man.
The man’s wife and children were unharmed in the fatal incident.
Tragic! @HCSOTexas units responded to the 20900 blk of Heather Grove Ct (Kings River Village - Humble). A tree fell on a house and a man was trapped under debris. Preliminary info indicates one person has been confirmed deceased. Fire department is on-scene.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) July 8, 2024
1/2 pic.twitter.com/xtYCDzoWwS
The man (53) was reportedly sitting in house with family, riding out the storm. An oak tree fell on roof and hit rafters, structure fell on the male. Wife and children unharmed.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) July 8, 2024
I’m out in the field and trying to make my way there.
2/2 #HouNews #houwx #BerylHurricane
Updated
A tornado associated with Hurricane Beryl touched down in Galveston, Texas, early on Monday, knocking over trees and destroying at least one home.
A video from the meteorologist Brett Adair shows the considerable damage caused by the tornado. According to the footage, the tornado toppled multiple trees and tore through at least one home, only leaving debris and the house’s wooden frame.
A tornado associated with hurricane #Beryl ripped through Galveston before sunrise this morning.
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) July 8, 2024
Field Meteorologist Brett Adair captured these scenes of a home destroyed as the sun rose. The tornado threat with Beryl will remain elevated today. #TXwx pic.twitter.com/YgzjZinw6S
Updated
More than 1.3 million people without power due to Hurricane Beryl
More than 1.3 million customers have been affected by power outages due to Hurricane Beryl, according to utility provider CenterPoint Energy.
1,343,938 customers have been without power due to the dangerous hurricane, according to an outage tracker from the energy company.
In a post to X, CenterPoint Energy said they have been “all hands-on-deck” to address power issues due to high winds and flash floods.
“As soon as safe to do so, you’ll see our crews headed out to start assessing damage and developing restoration plans,” the utility company said.
We’ve been all hands-on-deck through the night as #HurricaneBeryl made landfall with sustained winds of 80 mph and bringing the threat of flash flooding. We’re continuing to monitor conditions and impact to our system. As soon as safe to do so, you’ll see our crews headed out to… pic.twitter.com/AyZ7yTPzdG
— CenterPoint Energy (@CenterPoint) July 8, 2024
Updated
Here are images coming from Texas, as residents prepare for heavy wind, rain and flooding from Hurricane Beryl.
Updated
More than 150,000 people without power in Texas
More than 150,000 customers in Texas are experiencing power outages as the category 1 hurricane made landfall early on Monday.
153,759 households, mostly concentrated in south-east Texas, are without power as Hurricane Beryl travels northward.
Other energy providers in the state have much higher estimates on power outages during the hurricane. CenterPoint Energy, a utility company in Texas, reported that more than 1 million customers were without power as Beryl hit.
Updated
Hurricane Beryl has remained dangerous since making landfall in Texas early on Monday.
Forecasters have warned that the hurricane will bring heavy amounts of rain, flash flooding, and high winds as it travels up the Lone Star state.
“Beryl continues moving north. Heavy rains have caused flash flooding in/around the Houston area. Rain continuing to fall will aggravate ongoing issues. Strong/gusty winds persist,” the National Weather Service Houston reported.
The weather forecaster also warned that isolated tornadoes remain a possibility.
Radar update 6:58am: Beryl continues moving north. Heavy rains have caused flash flooding in/around the Houston area. Rain continuing to fall will aggravate ongoing issues. Strong/gusty winds persist. Isolated weak tornadoes still possible. #txwx #houwx #glswx #bcswx pic.twitter.com/ORWkuxTHZF
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) July 8, 2024
Updated
Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas with 75mph winds
Hurricane Beryl has hit the Texas coast near Houston, according to the US National Weather Service.
The hurricane, which has sustained winds of 75mph (120km/h), was moving north-west at 10mph and made landfall near Matagorda.
Beryl was already inundating parts of Texas as coastal residents boarded up windows and beach towns were ordered to evacuate in preparation for a storm that has already cut a deadly path through parts of Mexico and the Caribbean.
A tornado watch is in place for an area covering more than 7 million people, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Parts of eastern Texas were also on flood watch. Temperatures near the Texan coast are forecast at above 90F (32C) in the coming days, including heat indices as high as 108F (42C) on Sunday.
“Preparations should be rushed to completion in Texas,” the National Hurricane Service (NHC) said.
Updated
