Hurricane Beryl nears Texas coast, shutting down port, canceling flights

Hurricane Beryl intensified as it approached the Texas coast on Sunday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), prompting the closure of major oil ports, flight cancellations and storm warnings.

Mm deaths in affected areas.

Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, ripped through Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines last week, collapsing buildings and power lines and killing at least 11 people.

After leaving a devastating trail across the Caribbean, the storm weakened but regained strength as a Category 1 hurricane over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

When it makes landfall near Houston on Monday, it could be a Category 2 storm.

The NHC said in its latest advisory that “additional strengthening is expected prior to landfall on the Texas coast.”

Acting Gov. Patrick declared 120 counties disaster areas Sunday in anticipation of the storm, warning that Beryl “will be a deadly storm for

those who are directly in his path.

School districts, including Houston’s largest, announced closures as the storm approached. Airlines canceled scores of flights and officials ordered the evacuation of several coastal cities.

The closure of major oil shipping ports around Corpus Christi, Galveston and Houston in anticipation of the storm could disrupt crude oil exports, refinery shipments and fuel distribution.

Nancy Mbamalu