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Typhoon Beryl expected to damage quickly as it churns across Texas

Typhoon Beryl lashed Texas with strong winds and heavy rain on Monday as it churned inland, forcing the closure of oil ports, the cancellation of hundreds of flights and leaving countless homes and organizations in the state without power.

Beryl, the season's earliest Category 5 typhoon on record,

made landfall near the seaside town of Matagorda in Texas early in the day, pounding the coast with unsafe storm rises and heavy rain, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated.

The storm, which was expected to rapidly damage as it moved inland, swept a devastating path through Jamaica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines recently, eliminating at least 11 individuals and toppling structures and power lines.

In Texas, the greatest U.S. oil and natural gas producing-state, the energy market braced for Beryl's effect on Monday as interruption triggered by the effective storm slowed refining activity and triggered the evacuation of some production websites. Dangerous storm surge and heavy rains is continuous throughout parts of Texas. Harmful winds ongoing along the coast, with strong winds moving inland, the NHC said, including that Beryl was now anticipated to lose power.

Following warnings that it might be a fatal storm for communities in its course, residents had hurried to board up windows and stock up on fuel and other important products.

Before daybreak, strong gusts and torrential rain lashed down on cities and towns such as Galveston, Lake Jackson and Freeport, tv video showed.

The storm had actually reinforced into a Category 1 typhoon as it crossed the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall, however the NHC stated it was now expected to weaken rapidly.

Beryl is expected to damage to a tropical storm later on today and to a tropical depression on Tuesday, the NHC said. Steady. to rapid weakening is anticipated as the center moves inland.

Hurricanes usually deteriorate as they move over land.

Located about 55 miles (90 km) south south-west of Houston,. Beryl was moving at 12 mph (19 kph) and was expected to barrel. over eastern parts of the state through the course of the day. before moving into the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio. Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday, the NHC stated.

Acting Guv Dan Patrick on Sunday stated 120 counties. to be disaster areas ahead of the storm and warned Beryl would. be a lethal storm for people directly in its course.

Schools said they would be closed as the storm approached. Airlines cancelled more than 1,300 flights, and authorities. ordered a smattering of evacuations in beach towns. Almost. 490,000 homes and companies in Texas lost power, according to. PowerOutage.us information.

A number of counties in southeastern Texas-- including Houston,. where numerous U.S. energy companies are headquartered-- are under a. flash flood warning as thunderstorms released up to 6 inches. ( 15 cm) of rain, with 2-4 more inches expected.

Local Gary Short stated he was most concerned about. possible flooding.

I'm more anxious about the rain than anything, he stated as. he filled up cans with gas at a service station on Sunday. Other than that, not too concerned. Just getting ready.

Closures of significant oil-shipping ports around Corpus Christi,. Galveston and Houston ahead of the storm might disrupt petroleum. exports, deliveries of crude to refineries, and motor fuel from. the plants.

Some oil manufacturers, consisting of Shell and Chevron. , had actually evacuated personnel from their Gulf of Mexico. offshore production platforms ahead of the storm.

(source: Reuters)