Rain, flooding and tropical storm-force winds likely – Houston Public Media

The Houston area is likely to experience heavy rain, flooding and tropical storm-force winds over the next 24 hours as Beryl continues to move toward the Texas coast.

An updated tracker predicts the storm will make landfall near Matagorda Bay early Monday morning.

If this trajectory continues, the Houston area will see “some of the strongest winds and heaviest rain from Beryl,” according to Eric Berger of Space City Weather.

Beryl was still a tropical storm as of midday Sunday, but was expected to make landfall Monday as a Category 1 hurricane.

RELATED: Houston Public Media Hurricane and Tropical Storm Tracker

Before landfall, the storm’s outer bands were already moving inland, and parts of the Houston area saw intermittent rain Sunday morning.

“We’re seeing the outer bands of Beryl approaching the Texas coast now and the weather is expected to deteriorate, especially this afternoon and evening,” Eric Blake, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said Sunday morning. “People should certainly be safe by nightfall and we expect the hurricane to make landfall somewhere along the middle of the Texas coast overnight.”

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Forecasters are predicting up to 8 inches of rain in parts of the Houston area during the storm. Higher totals are likely to the south, with the potential for 10 inches of rain in Galveston.

The heaviest rains are expected overnight and into Monday morning.

Tropical storm-force winds could be a problem for Galveston and the Houston area, with potential for downed trees and power outages. The heart of Houston could see winds estimated at 35-55 mph during the storm.

Officials warned of a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) in Galveston. Galveston County issued a precautionary disaster declaration Saturday.

A hurricane warning is in effect from Baffin Bay to San Luis Pass, Jackson County, Matagorda County and parts of Brazoria County. A hurricane watch is in effect for Galveston Island.

The White House said Sunday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had sent emergency responders, search and rescue teams, bottled water and other resources along the coast.

Some coastal cities called for voluntary evacuations of low-lying areas prone to flooding, banned beach camping and urged tourists traveling over the July Fourth weekend to move their recreational vehicles out of coastal parks. In Refugio County, north of Corpus Christi, officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for its 6,700 residents.

RELATED: Houston area braces for heavy rain as Beryl approaches Texas coast

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is acting for Gov. Greg Abbott while he travels to Taiwan, issued a precautionary disaster declaration for 121 counties.

Earlier this week, Beryl struck Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane, toppling trees but causing no injuries or deaths before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the Yucatan Peninsula.

Beryl would be the 10th hurricane to hit Texas in July since 1851 and the fourth in the past 25 years, according to Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.