Hurricane Beryl intensified as it approached the Texas coast on Sunday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC), leading to the closure of significant oil ports, flight cancellations, and warnings of
Mm fatalities in affected areas.
Beryl, the earliest category 5 hurricane on record, ravaged Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines last week, causing buildings and power lines to collapse and resulting in at least 11 deaths.
After leaving a path of devastation across the Caribbean, the storm weakened but regained strength as a category 1 hurricane over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
By the time it makes landfall near Houston on Monday, it could be a category 2 storm.
The NHC stated in its latest advisory that “further strengthening is anticipated before landfall on the Texas coast.”
Acting Governor Patrick declared 120 counties as disaster areas on Sunday in anticipation of the storm, warning that Beryl “will be a deadly storm for
those directly in its path.”
School districts, including the largest in Houston, announced closures as the storm neared. Airlines cancelled numerous flights, and officials ordered evacuations in several coastal towns.
The closure of major oil-shipping ports around Corpus Christi, Galveston, and Houston in preparation for the storm could disrupt crude oil exports, refinery shipments, and motor fuel distribution.
Nancy Mbamalu
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