Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Texas coast near Matagorda early Monday with a dangerous storm surge and strong winds.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm’s center hit land as a Category 1 hurricane around 4 a.m. CT about 85 miles southwest of Houston with top sustained winds of 80 mph (128.7 kph) while moving north at 12 mph (19.3 kph).
Beryl regained hurricane strength by late Sunday.
Acting Governor Dan Patrick said in a press conference earlier Sunday night during a briefing on preparations ahead of the storm’s arrival that “Beryl is expected to intensify right up to landfall and could transform into a Category 2 Hurricane.”
Storm surge warnings are in effect for Mesquite Bay to Sabine Pass, including Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay, and a hurricane warning is in effect for the Texas coast from Mesquite Bay northward to Port Bolivar. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Texas coast south of Mesquite Bay to Port Mansfield, and the Texas coast north of San Luis Pass to Sabine Pass.
Beryl is expected to weaken to a tropical storm Monday and a tropical depression Tuesday, the weather service said, forecasting a turn to the northeast and increase in speed Monday night and Tuesday.
Beryl strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane while passing through the Caribbean, where it claimed 11 lives.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
