By T.J. Muscaro
Contributing Writer
As Tropical Storm Beryl continued inland in southeast Texas on Monday, two people were reported dead, and more than 2 million people were estimated to be without power.
While flooding persists, the threat of tornadoes increased in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.
Authorities said two people have been killed in Texas after trees fell on their homes. One was a man from Humble, a suburb of Houston, and the other was a woman in Harris County.
CenterPoint Energy reported more than 2 million customers in Houston and much of coastal southeast Texas were without power.
The Texas Department of Transportation posted on social media platform X that its crews were trying to clear fallen trees amid the heavy rain and wind.
Several roads remained flooded around Houston.
Texas’s Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been acting as governor over the past few days while Gov. Greg Abbott is in South Korea on an economic development mission.
A tornado watch was in effect until 10 p.m. Monday for several Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas counties, according to the National Weather Service, and tornado warnings popped up on both sides of the Sabine River.
The tornado threat was expected to travel northward with the storm up along the Texas/Louisiana border, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said in a video update.
Moderate to major flooding continued in Houston, and more flood problems were reported in communities lining creeks and rivers in Beryl’s path.
Flood warnings and watches extended northeast past Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, covering much of southern Missouri and southern Illinois up to Indiana. The National Weather Service said the flood watch will remain in effect until Wednesday.
A storm surge warning was active for Galveston Bay in Texas and the surrounding coastline.
Beryl hit Texas in the early morning hours of Monday as a Category 1 hurricane but was downgraded to a tropical storm by 10 a.m., according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 1 p.m. local time, the NHC reported Beryl had weakened even more. The NHC told people to “use caution after the storm as deadly hazards remain, including downed powerlines.”
It also warned about carbon monoxide poisoning, which can occur from improper generator use.
A White House official confirmed on Monday that President Joe Biden was receiving regular updates on the storm, and senior officials remained in close contact with state and local counterparts.
FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard prepositioned search and rescue teams and other response personnel. FEMA, which activated its National Response Coordination Center on Sunday to support local response efforts, staged bottled water, meals, tarpaulins, and generators.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
