Tropical Storm Beryl to Regain Hurricane Strength

oTropical Storm Beryl is heading toward the Texas coast. It is expected to become a hurricane again in the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters before reaching land on Monday morning. The storm is set to hit near Matagorda Bay, which is about 100 miles south of Houston. The storm's strong winds stretch out 115 miles from its center. People in Texas and Arkansas should be ready for heavy rain and flash flooding as Beryl moves north and then northeast on Monday.

Texas officials are worried about power outages and flooding. They also fear that not enough people are leaving the coast. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the roads are still clear, meaning few people are evacuating.

In Port Lavaca, some people are getting ready for the storm. Jimmy May put plywood over his store's windows and isn't too worried about flooding. He remembers his store was safe in a previous hurricane. Percy Roberts helped his neighbor secure a boat at the marina.

In Freeport, retiree Mark Richardson saw people tying things down and noticed the ocean waves getting bigger. He is concerned about where exactly Beryl will hit.

Beryl is the earliest storm to become a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic this year. It has already caused at least 11 deaths in the Caribbean. The storm has quickly gained strength three times in the past week, showing how hot the Atlantic waters are.

Texas is preparing for heavy rain, strong winds, and flooding along the entire coastline. The hurricane warning is from Baffin Bay to Sargent. Houston might see another big rain event, with up to 10 inches of rain expected in some areas. Potential storm surges of 4 to 7 feet are predicted around Matagorda.

Air travel is also affected, with many flights from Houston delayed or canceled. Corpus Christi officials asked visitors to leave early and residents to secure their homes. The White House said FEMA has sent emergency teams and supplies to the coast.

Some coastal counties called for voluntary evacuations and banned beach camping. Beryl hit Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane earlier this week, causing damage but no injuries. It also caused destruction and deaths in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada, Venezuela, and Jamaica.