With heavy rains causing widespread flooding and massive power outages in Texas, Storm Beryl continued its destructive path, killing at least five people in the southern part of the country. USA.
Four people were killed in the Houston area, according to the Texas city’s mayor and local police. A city police officer died in floodwaters while trying to get to work, Mayor John Whitmire said, adding that another person died in a fire caused by lightning.
Drone footage captured by storm chaser @AaronRigsbyOSC shows the extent of flash flooding in Houston caused by Tropical Storm Beryl, with dozens of vehicles stranded. pic.twitter.com/SiOEB2UCrs
– AccuWeather (@accuweather) July 9, 2024
Beryl, which was previously classified as a cyclone, killed at least 10 people in the Caribbean and Venezuela. When it passed through the Antilles, it even reached level 5 – the highest – on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which measures the intensity of cyclones.
On Monday, it was downgraded to a tropical storm, with its accompanying winds blowing at reduced intensity, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
However, the risk remains. Five tornadoes were recorded yesterday by the Texas Weather Service and the NHC warned of the risk of a strong sea level rise in coastal areas.
Roads – rivers
In Houston, trees were uprooted and power lines fell, blocking roads. Many roads are impassable due to flooding.
“For a Category 1 storm, the damage is much greater than we expected,” said Rose Michalek, a resident of the city.
Millions of families without electricity
In Texas, more than 2.4 million homes and businesses were still without power last night, according to the website poweroutage.us.
More than 1,100 flights were canceled yesterday at the city’s main airport as the NHC warned of tornadoes forming.
Recommendations to citizens
Acting Texas Governor Dan Patrick urged state residents to remain vigilant, follow government recommendations and stay away from dangerous areas. “This storm will be deadly to anyone who gets in its path,” he said at a press conference. “Trust me, you do not want to be in a Category 1 hurricane,” he added.
According to the NHC, Beryl will head towards Mississippi and Ohio today and tomorrow, Wednesday, but estimated that the intensity of the storm “will continue to decrease” in the coming hours.