Tropical Storm Beryl Ravages Texas, Causing Major Disruptions

Tropical Storm Beryl battered Texas with severe winds and heavy rain, causing oil ports to close, flight cancellations, and widespread power outages. Initially a Category 5 hurricane, Beryl wreaked havoc in the Caribbean before weakening. The storm disrupted energy production and threatened further damage inland.

Tropical Storm Beryl lashed Texas with strong winds and torrential rain on Monday, shutting down oil ports, cancelling hundreds of flights, and leaving over 2 million homes and businesses without power.

Beryl, initially the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record this season, weakened after hitting the coastal Texas town of Matagorda, bringing dangerous storm surges and heavy rain. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the storm was set to weaken further as it moved inland, having already swept through the Caribbean, leaving at least 11 dead and significant destruction in its wake.

Texas's energy sector, the nation's largest oil and natural gas producer, braced for impact. The storm prompted evacuations from production sites and slowed refining activity. Despite Beryl losing strength, the NHC warned of ongoing life-threatening storm surges and heavy rainfall in Texas. Residents were urged to prepare for possible tornadoes and flash flooding in wide-ranging areas including Ohio and Detroit. President Joe Biden was briefed, with FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard stationed for search and rescue efforts. Texas declared 120 counties as disaster areas, with schools closing and over 1,300 flights cancelled ahead of the storm's landfall.

(With inputs from agencies.)