Beryl regains hurricane strength as it bears down on southern Texas

MATAGORDA, Texas — Beryl strengthened and became a hurricane again Sunday night as it headed toward southern Texas, where its outer bands battered the coast with rain and increasing winds as residents braced for the powerful storm that had already cut a deadly path through parts of Mexico And the Caribbean.

People on the Texas coast boarded up windows and left beach communities under evacuation orders. The hurricane’s top was packing winds of 75 mph (120 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The hurricane was moving northwest at 10 mph (16 kph).

The storm was expected to make landfall Monday morning in the mid-Texas coast around Matagorda Bay, an area about 100 miles (161 kilometers) south of Houston. However, officials warned that its path could still change.

As the storm approached the coast, Texas authorities warned Sunday that the storm could cause power outages and flooding, while also expressing concern that not enough residents and beach vacationers near Beryl had heeded warnings to leave.

“One of the things that concerns us a little bit is we’ve looked at all the roads leaving the coast and the maps are still green,” said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is serving as the state’s acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott travels abroad. “So we’re not seeing a lot of people leaving.”

Tropical storm-force winds reached up to 115 miles (185 kilometers) from the center, and the hurricane center warned residents to be prepared for possible flooding in parts of central, upper and eastern Texas and Arkansas as the storm gradually turns north and northeast later Monday.

Along the Texas coast, many residents and business owners took the usual storm precautions, but they also expressed uncertainty about the storm’s intensity.

In Port Lavaca, Jimmy May, who secured plywood over the windows of his electric company, said he wasn’t worried about the potential storm surge. He recalled that his business had escaped flooding in a previous hurricane that brought a 20-foot (6-meter) storm surge.

“If you’re in the city, you know, if you’re in the low-lying areas, you obviously have to get out of there,” he said.

At the nearby marina, Percy Roberts showed his neighbor Ken Waller how to properly secure his boat as a heavy wind blew up off the bay on Sunday evening.

“This is actually the first hurricane I’m going to experience,” Waller said, noting that he’s a little nervous but feels safe following Roberts’ lead. “Pray for the best, but expect the worst, I guess.”

The first storm that developed into a Category 5 hurricane In the Atlantic Ocean, Beryl killed at least 11 people as it swept through the Caribbean on its way to Texas. The storm ripped off doors, windows and roofs with devastating winds and storm surges fueled by the record heat of the Atlantic Ocean.

Three times during the week that Beryl has existed, wind speeds have increased by 56 km/h (35 mph) in 24 hours or less. This is the official weather service definition of rapid intensification.

The explosive growth of Beryl into an unprecedented early storm shows the literally hot water of the Atlantic and Caribbean, and what the Atlantic hurricane belt can expect for the rest of the storm season, experts said.

Officials in Texas warned people along the entire coastline to prepare for possible flooding, heavy rain and wind. The hurricane warning extended from Baffin Bay, south of Corpus Christi, to Sargent, south of Houston.

Beryl lurked as another potential heavy rain event for Houston, which has seen storms in recent months power off in the fourth largest city in the country and flooded neighborhoodsA flash flood warning was in effect for much of coastal Texas, where meteorologists expected Beryl to drop as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain in some areas.

Potential storm surges were forecast to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.22 and 2.13 meters) above ground level around Matagorda. The warnings were extended to the same coastal areas where Hurricane Harvey made landfall in 2017 as a Category 4 hurricane. This hurricane was much more powerful than the expected intensity of Beryl when the storm made landfall.

Those hoping to get a flight out of the area may find that option nearly impossible as Beryl approaches. Hundreds of flights from Houston’s two major commercial airports were delayed Sunday afternoon and dozens were canceled, according to FlightAware data.

In Corpus Christi, officials asked visitors to shorten their trips and return home early if possible. Residents were advised to secure their homes by covering windows if necessary and using sandbags to protect against possible flooding.

The White House said Sunday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had sent emergency workers, search and rescue teams, bottled water and other resources along the coast.

Several coastal counties called for voluntary evacuations in low-lying areas prone to flooding. Local officials also banned beach camping and urged tourists traveling over the July 4 holiday weekend to remove recreational vehicles from coastal parks.

Beryl hit Mexico earlier this week as a Category 2 hurricane, toppling trees but causing no injuries or deaths. It then weakened to a tropical storm as it moved across the Yucatán Peninsula.

Before reaching Mexico, Beryl caused devastation in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados. Three people were reported dead in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela, and two in Jamaica.

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Gonzalez reported from McAllen, Texas. Associated Press reporters Margery A. Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City and Julie Walker in New York contributed.