Hurricane Beryl has just hit the US coast, making it the first hurricane in the Atlantic hurricane season to reach the US shoreline. The hurricane has already claimed at least 9 lives.
Residents have been issued evacuation orders as power cuts spread and roads are cut off, stranding some coastal towns.
Devastation Across Caribbean and Mexico
The storm has already wreaked havoc across the Caribbean and the Mexican Yucatán peninsula.
The Grenadines were hit hard, with Beryl lifting the roofs from the top of buildings. The storm tore apart buildings in Jamaica before hitting the Yucatán peninsula in Mexico.
Weakened After Mexico
The hurricane weakened after it hit Mexico, but re-intensified as it moved over the water towards the US coast.
It was the earliest-ever category 5 hurricane as it moved over the Caribbean but has since dwindled and re-intensified as a category 1 hurricane.
Hurricane Categories Explained
Hurricanes are rated depending on the intensity of the winds they produce. For a storm to be classified as a hurricane, it must have sustained maximum winds of at least 74 miles per hour.
Categories 1 to 5 represent the expected ability of the hurricane to cause property damage, with 3 and over being considered major hurricanes.
Tornado Warnings
Hurricane Beryl is also expected to pose a risk for the development of tornadoes in some areas.
Areas covering 7 million people have been issued tornado watch warnings as thunderstorms on the east side of the cyclone could cause tornadoes to form.
Warm Waters Aided Hurricane
The warmer waters in the past year may have contributed to the formation of this severe hurricane so early in the season.
Water temperatures have been at unprecedented levels for over a year now, with daily records tumbling.
US Cities Impacted By Beryl
Several cities across the state will be impacted by Beryl to different degrees, from a strong wind warning to tornado and flood watches.
Palacios, Galveston and Victoria are all facing hurricane warnings, while Houston, Corpus Christi and South Padre Island have also been issued weather warnings.
Hit Land Early in the Morning
Hurricane Beryl hit the US shoreline early on Monday morning.
The first report of it making landfall, near Matagorda Beach, came from the National Hurricane Center at 5AM.
Evacuation Orders
Some counties have gone as far as releasing evacuation orders for their residents.
Galveston Island suggested voluntary evacuations for its residents on Sunday morning, and residents may be stranded by road floodings.
Hurricane Moves Inland
The hurricane is expected to move up the eastern coast of Texas and then further inland.
However, it is likely to quickly lose its hurricane status after moving over land and will dissipate somewhere in North Eastern US.
