Hurricane warnings issued as Beryl forecast to make landfall along Texas coast on Monday

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hurricane warnings have now been issued for the Texas Gulf Coast as Beryl continues its menacing march toward the Lone Star State.

A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions with sustained winds of 74 mph (119 km/h) or greater are expected within the next 36 hours. In addition to the threat of damaging winds, dangerous storm surge and rainfall of 12 inches (30 cm) or more are possible during the first half of the week.

The warning is now in effect from south of Corpus Christi to around Sargent, Texas.

Parts of the Houston/Galveston metropolitan area and communities north of the Texas-Mexico border are under a tropical storm warning, with winds expected to reach more than 73 mph.

Beryl remains a tropical storm, having lost some of its energy after crossing Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Friday morning. But as Beryl slowly regains strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, it is likely to regain hurricane status as it heads north toward the heart of the Texas Gulf Coast by Monday.

“We expect this intensification to occur in the 12 to 18 hours before the hurricanes make landfall,” National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan told FOX Weather. “So people need to prepare as if there’s going to be a hurricane, because that’s what we expect, with all the dangers that come with that.”

A dangerous storm surge of up to 6 feet is expected to hit a wide swath of the Texas coast by Sunday night into Monday, while torrential rains totaling up to 10 to 15 inches threaten to cause flash and urban flooding, some of which could be significant. Beryl’s powerful hurricane-force winds could cause power outages and property damage.

Weather is expected to deteriorate rapidly Monday morning from Brownsville to Houston, and preparations are expected to be underway for a hurricane to make landfall later in the day.

“It’s going to be a very difficult system to manage because it’s very disorganized right now, and it’s going to look disorganized as it gets closer to the coast, and it’s going to be harder to motivate people to take action,” said FOX Weather hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross. “But we’re in a situation where it could intensify significantly (Sunday) as it gets closer to the coast, just offshore.”

KNOW YOUR AREA: TEXAS HURRICANE EVACUATION ZONES

How big a storm surge can we expect along the Texas coast?

A storm warning is also in effect from Padre Island to High Island, including Corpus Christi Bay, Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay.

A storm surge warning means there is a risk of life-threatening rising waters within the next 36 hours.

Storm surge models indicate that 3 to 6 feet of water rise is possible from Baffin Bay to Sargent, as well as Corpus Christi Bay and Matagorda Bay, beginning Sunday night and continuing through Monday.

“The deepest waters will occur along the immediate coast, near and to the right of center, where rising waters will be accompanied by large and destructive waves,” the NHC warned. “Flooding associated with rising waters depends on the relative timing of rising waters and the tidal cycle, and can vary considerably over short distances.”

How much rain is expected in Texas from Beryl?

Much of East Texas is expected to receive several inches of rain from Beryl. Broad swaths of 5 to 10 inches of accumulation are expected, with localized amounts of up to 15 inches, across parts of the Texas Gulf Coast and East Texas from Sunday through the middle of next week.

“This rainfall is likely to cause areas of flash and urban flooding, some of which could be locally significant,” the NHC warned.

The Houston area is currently expected to see between 5 and 8 inches of rain, with heavier amounts in the southern and western suburbs.

Any of the outer rain bands could also produce tropical storm-force gusts and even trigger an isolated tornado, said meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi, Texas.

WHAT IS THE IKE DAM?

Evacuation orders have been issued for some Texas communities

Cameron County, Texas, was one of the first in the state to initiate voluntary evacuations.

Authorities have advised people living in mobile homes and visitors staying in parks to seek more substantial shelter.

Nueces County issued similar orders and advised all visitors to leave Sunday afternoon.

Those counties were among 40 that were part of a disaster declaration signed by acting Gov. Dan Patrick.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is currently out of the country but said he is monitoring the situation.

Communities in low-lying areas and along the coast have already begun offering sandbags to residents, which will be available while supplies last.