Hurricane Beryl hits Texas leaving two dead and millions without power

People watch waves crash into rock groynes in Galveston, Texas on Sunday. Credit: AP

Hurricane Beryl's heavy rain and fierce winds have swept into Texas, leaving two people dead and cutting out power to two million homes and businesses.

The storm brought flash flooding to Houston on Monday, prompting police to send out rescue vehicles and warn citizens to avoid roads.

One man was killed after a tree fell on a house, trapping him beneath debris, according to Harris County sheriff's office.

Flood warnings were in effect across a wide stretch of the Texas coast, where a powerful storm surge pushed water ashore.

More than 1,000 flights have been canceled at Houston’s two airports, according to tracking data from FlightAware.

Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm as it made landfall in Mexico, but regained strength as it barrelled towards the United States on Sunday.

A house lies destroyed in St Vincent and the Grenadines after Hurricane Beryl. Credit: AP

The hurricane was briefly at Category 5 strength for parts of its rampage across the south-east Caribbean last week, where it killed at least 11 people, caused flooding and tore apart buildings.

It has since weakened to a Category 1 strength hurricane.

Three people were reported dead in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela and two in Jamaica.

A tree uprooted by Hurricane Beryl lays on a street in Tulum. Credit: AP

Hurricane Beryl broke records as the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 in the Atlantic, fuelled by unprecedented warm waters.

This comes after the UK government announced a Hurricane Beryl support package for the Caribbean, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy increasing support up to £500,000.


Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...