Beryl, the first named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, has already wrought destruction from the Caribbean to the Yucatan Peninsula and, according to officials at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, is expected to hit the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane sometime early Monday morning. 

The center said Beryl would likely land somewhere between Brownsville and north of Corpus Christi in the early hours of July 8 as a "strong Category 1 storm." However, according to an official, the longer it takes to make landfall, the stronger it could grow in intensity.  

“[Category 1] could be conservative if Beryl stays over water longer” than expected, Jack Beven, a senior specialist, wrote in an update Sunday. The caveat comes from the Gulf of Mexico's unusually warm water temperature, which can cause early-season storms to intensify rapidly as Beryl did in the Caribbean.

The official forecast predicts Beryl will gain 17 to 23 mph in wind speed within 24 hours of approaching the coastline. 

Texas has experienced this threat before, most notably Hurricane Harvey in 2017. At a Category 4, Harvey hit the state hard before stalling over the Southeastern area for days, causing catastrophic floods. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put Harvey’s total damage at $125 billion.

Over the holiday weekend, the state began preparing for what could be significant damage to infrastructure. The governor’s office added 81 counties to the state’s Hurricane Beryl Disaster Declaration. 

National Hurricane Center

“Based on the current forecast, heavy rain and some localized flooding could occur all the way from the coast through areas near College Station, Tyler, and Texarkana as the storm moves through Texas on its current track,” Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said in a news conference that KBTX-TV first reported. 

Last week, Beryl ripped through parts of the Caribbean, unleashing fury across several islands, including Grenada, Dominica and Barbados. In Jamaica, the Category 4 winds brushed the island’s southern coast, ripping off portions of the roof system at the main international airport near Kingston, as first reported by the Miami Herald. 

Officials have urged Texans to stay informed, monitor local weather forecasts, follow directions from local officials, make an emergency plan, review hurricane evacuation routes, build a kit containing emergency supplies, and consider reviewing flood risk and insurance coverage. 

“I thank our state’s emergency response personnel who are working around the clock to protect their fellow Texans,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “Holiday travelers and communities in at-risk areas are urged to heed the guidance of state and local officials to keep themselves and their families safe.”

Roofing Contractor will continue monitoring the situation and issue follow-ups as information becomes available.