Hurricane Beryl crossed Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday after impacting the resort town of Tulum, where it made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm caused tree damage but no reported injuries or fatalities before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved over the peninsula. Forecasters from the U.S. National Hurricane Center anticipate Beryl will regain hurricane strength as it moves into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and approaches south Texas by late Sunday or early Monday.
Beryl, which became the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, resulted in at least 11 fatalities across Caribbean islands earlier in the week.
As of Friday afternoon, Beryl’s center was located on Mexico’s Gulf coast at Progreso, Yucatan, approximately 580 miles (935 kilometers) east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas. Moving west-northwest at 15 mph (about 24 kph), the storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph).
The storm is expected to potentially strengthen back to winds of 90 mph (150 kph) before landfall in Texas, although its exact trajectory remains uncertain. Hurricane watches are in effect from the Rio Grande along the coast to Sargent, just south of Houston, Texas.
Ahead of the storm’s arrival, several Texas counties have issued voluntary evacuation orders for low-lying areas, and preparations are underway along the coast. Corpus Christi officials reported distributing 10,000 sandbags in a short period on Friday, depleting their supply.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick declared a pre-emptive disaster declaration for 39 counties, allowing for early planning and contracting for emergency response efforts. Oil companies have begun evacuating personnel from rigs in the storm’s path along the coast.
Beryl previously caused significant damage in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados, with fatalities reported in several countries. In Mexico, the storm left minor damage and power outages but no reported injuries.
As communities brace for Beryl’s impact, residents and officials in affected areas are making necessary preparations, including evacuations and securing infrastructure to mitigate potential damage.
