Power outages are still rising as Tropical Storm Beryl continues to move through the region. According to Centerpoint Energy's outage tracker, there are over 2.2 million customers without power, while Entergy Texas' reported outages have affected nearly 240,000 customers.
While flash flood warnings have expired for a majority of the Greater Houston area, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for many counties in Beaumont, which is east of Houston, until 5 p.m.
Entergy Texas officials said they will "continue to monitor weather conditions and begin restoration efforts when it is safe to do so," in a July 8 news release.
Centerpoint Energy officials recommended customers contact the company to report hazardous conditions via Facebook.
"Our system tells us where the outages are located across our service area thanks to our smart meter technology that lets us know your power is out," the post from the company read. "There's no need to hold to speak to an agent so please keep the phone lines open for those reporting hazardous conditions after today's severe weather."
Both Entergy Texas and Centerpoint Energy officials urge customers to stay away from downed power lines and areas of debris.
Centerpoint Energy customers can report a downed power line at 713-207-2222.
Entergy Texas customers can report a downed power line at 1-800-968-8243.
Updated 10:55 a.m. July 8
Power outages are continuing to rise in the Greater Houston area as Tropical Storm Beryl continues to move through the region. According to CenterPoint Energy's outage tracker, there are 2.12 million customers without power, while Entergy Texas' reported outages have risen to over 150,000 affected customers.
According to the Harris County Flood Warning System, portions of southern Harris County have received over 11 inches of rain so far, with other areas in Harris County receiving 6-10 inches. The National Weather Service has also extended a flash flood warning for Northwestern Chambers County, Harris County, southwestern Liberty County and southern Montgomery County until 1 p.m.
Additionally, two people have died as a result of the hurricane; Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed the second death via Facebook.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo urges residents in the Greater Houston area to stay inside, away from windows and off the roads. She said CenterPoint crews from other areas in Texas will be out to assist residents soon.
"There are 4,000 more crews coming; total we'll have 6,500 from out of town and with the folks in here around 10,000, so we're leading forward into the recovery," Hidalgo said in a video via Facebook.
Updated 8:30 a.m. July 8
Power outages across the Greater Houston area are steadily rising as Hurricane Beryl moves through the region. According to CenterPoint Energy's outage tracker, there are 1.58 million customers without power while Entergy Texas's reported outages has also risen to 44,546 affected customers.
According to the Harris County Flood Warning System, portions of southern Harris County have received around six to nine inches of rainfall so far. However, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for much of Harris County and extended the warning for Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties until 10:00 a.m.
Additionally, one person has died as a result of the hurricane, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed via Facebook.
Updated 7:30 a.m. July 8
The Greater Houston area is beginning to see the effects of Hurricane Beryl after the Category 1 hurricane made landfall overnight, the National Weather Service reported.
What residents need to know
According to a 4:30 a.m. update from the National Weather Service on July 8, Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane at approximately 4 a.m. in Matagorda.
The storm strengthened from a tropical storm to a hurricane at 11 p.m. July 7 with maximum winds around 80 miles per hour.
As of 7:29 a.m., CenterPoint Energy is reporting 1.13 million customers in the Greater Houston area are without power. To see live outage counts, click here. Entergy Texas is also reporting 30,666 power outages in the area, and additional outages can be tracked here.
What else?
Multiple municipalities are seeing some streets flooding as well as power lines and tree limbs down, city and county officials are reporting. The Texas Department of Transportation also has an interactive tracker which can be used to monitor road conditions.
Posted 4:07 p.m. July 7
State and Houston-area authorities are awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to make landfall in the early morning of July 8.
The overview
According to an 11 a.m. update from the National Weather Service on July 7, Beryl is a 60-mph tropical storm but is expected to make landfall as an 85-mph Category 1 hurricane. The track has shifted slightly eastward with an expected arrival near or just east of Matagorda Bay early July 8.
The storm is expected to produce between 5-10 inches of rainfall in the region, with up to 15 inches where the heaviest rains occur, according to the NWS. Several counties in the Greater Houston are in a Tropical Storm Warming, with expected sustained winds ranging from 39-73 mph, including Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Montgomery and Galveston counties.
Portions of several counties, including Galveston, are facing hurricane and storm surge warnings as well, according to the NWS.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick held a press conference July 7 warning residents along the coast to prepare for impacts from Beryl.
Patrick requested residents along coastal areas from Corpus Christi to Galveston Bay to make any final preparations or evacuations before July 8, and to avoid traveling on roads July 8 as the storm makes landfall.
“This will be a heavy rain event, but the storm will move quickly,” Patrick said. “But it will go up through the state, so areas like College Station could see significant rain and flooding.”
While Beryl is still a tropical storm, the NWS is still expecting the storm to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall on July 8.
“Our No. 1 mission ... is to save your life. That's No. 1. Property can be rebuilt, but lives cannot be,” Patrick said. "This storm has already left nine deaths in its path through the Caribbean. We don't want No. 10 to be in Texas."
Zooming out
A total of 121 counties in Texas are now part of a state disaster declaration issued on July 5, with hurricane and tropical storm warnings issued for much of South and Southeast Texas.
“We have about six hours before the first tropical storm-force winds land somewhere along the Texas coast. Now is the time to make your final preparations in responding to this threat,” Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said at the press conference.
A closer look
In a July 6 news release, CenterPoint Energy officials said they are monitoring Beryl's impact on the energy provider's electric and natural gas systems.
Real-time electricity outage updates from CenterPoint's Outage Tracker are unavailable, but officials encouraged customers to enroll in CenterPoint's Power Alert Service to receive updates, including estimated restoration times. Find the latest information from CenterPoint here.
Quote of note
"I have directed an activation at Level 1: maximum readiness, and the team continues to work in coordination with first responders, relevant agencies, the various cities in Harris County and the state government ahead of the storm," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a July 7 statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We are doing everything possible to keep residents safe."
What else?
See a list of school and county closures announced for July 8 here.
Follow communityimpact.com for more Hurricane Beryl updates.
