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How far can inland can Hurricane Beryl reach in the US?
Hurricane Beryl is on track to make landfall in Texas on Sunday. A look at what counties will be affected based on current forecasts.
Hurricane Beryl will make landfall in Texas tomorrow. After leaving a path of destruction in its wake throughout the Caribbean, authorities are warning residents in the southeast of the state to stay alert and prepared as the storm approaches. The hurricane is expected to arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, and in preparation, the US National Weather Service (NWS) has issued several warnings of differing threat levels to residents across southeast Texas.
The storm could reach as far as Waco, located nearly 300 miles inland from Corpus Christi.
Additionally, rain is expected in the Austin and San Antonio regions as early as Tuesday, and the NWS is already warning residents to prepare. The agency is warning the flooding is possible across South Central Texas, highlighting the threat that those who live inland also face to hurricanes.
What alerts have been issued?
The National Weather Service has issued a Hurricane Watch between the “mouth of the Rio Grande River northward to [the] San Luis Pass.”
What is a Hurricane Watch
The National Weather Service releases a 'Hurricane Watch' when "hurricane conditions" meaning "sustained winds of 74 mph or greater" can be expected in a certain area. These warnings are issued 48 hours in advance of when the "tropical storm-force winds" are expected to materalize.
Source: National Weather Service
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the area covering “the Texas coast south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande River.” These warnings mean that the agency forecasts tropical storm conditions within 36 hours.
Lastly, a Storm-Surge Watch remains in effect along “the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande River northward to High Island. Those in the area should listen to officials for guidance on whether or not evacuations should be planned, given that storm surge can bring “life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline.” If a Storm-Surge Watch alert is imposed, it means the NWS foresees these conditions materializing within the next forty-eight hours.
A Hurricane Warning is still likely to come
“A Hurricane Warning will likely be issued for a portion of the Texas coast this afternoon,” reports the agency.
What is a Hurricane Warning?
These alerts are issued with "Hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or greater) are expected somewhere within the specified area." The agency will release these warnings 36 hours in advance of the forecasted storm to give residents "time to complete [their] preparations" and "evacute immediately if so ordered."
Source: National Weather Service
How will the cities of Texas be impacted?
Cities along the southeast coast of Texas, from Houston to Galveston to Corpus Christi, could see winds as high as 39 mph as Hurricane Beryl makes landfall—the further south, the higher the chance.
Houston is expected to receive around 6 inches of rainfall, while Brownsville, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Waco are forecasted to receive only four inches, according to the NWS. However, in certain areas that have not yet been defined by the NWS, up to 15 inches could fall as Beryl moves through, and anywhere between five and 10 can be expected along the coast in the coming days.
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