Hurricane "Beryl" has reached the US coast
Hurricane "Beryl" reached the US coast. The hurricane made landfall early morning (local time) near the Texas community of Matagorda, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). Meteorologists warned of life-threatening flooding from storm surges along the coast.
"Beryl" had weakened into a tropical storm over the sea initially, but was upgraded back to a Category 1 hurricane just before making landfall in Texas - with wind speeds around 120 kilometers per hour.
In the threatened areas along the Texas coast, some residents and shopkeepers reportedly nailed their windows with boards in response to media reports. However, many people apparently did not heed the calls of authorities to evacuate. Vice Governor Dan Patrick declared a state of emergency in 121 counties. In the Refugio district, where about 7000 people live, an evacuation was ordered.
"Beryl" is expected to move north-east inland and pass over East Texas and Arkansas by late Monday and Tuesday, according to forecasts.
Tomorrow, the remnants of Hurricane "Beryl" are predicted to continue moving north-east, potentially affecting areas beyond the US coast. Despite earlier warnings of life-threatening flooding from storm surges along the Texas coast, many individuals failed to evacuate before "Beryl" made landfall near Matagorda early tomorrow.
