Hurricane over America - "Beryl" devastates southern USA - death toll rises to five
The number of deaths caused by storm "Beryl" in the southern USA has risen to six. A person died after a lightning strike possibly started a fire, Houston, Texas Mayor John Whitmire said on Monday (local time). A police officer was also reportedly killed on his way to work in the floodwater. The death toll in the Houston region had previously been at two.
A death was also reported in the state of Louisiana. A woman died, according to local police, when a tree fell on her house.
"Beryl" sweeps over Latin America with record speed
"Beryl" made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast on Monday morning (local time) with wind speeds of 130 kilometers per hour. However, it lost power shortly after entering the state and was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm by the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The hurricane had caused significant damage in northern Venezuela, various Caribbean islands, and the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico in the days leading up to its arrival in Texas. "Beryl" was the first hurricane since records began in June to reach Category 4 strength at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Later, it intensified to the highest hurricane category 5, before weakening again. Over a dozen people have already lost their lives due to "Beryl".
In the aftermath of the storm, numerous parts of the USA experienced flooding. Central America, specifically Houston, was not excluded from this, leading to a whirlwind of damage and displacement.
Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm, the impacts of "Beryl" were still felt heavily in America, with catastrophic flooding reported in various cities, such as Houston.
