HOUSTON – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo held a news conference Monday afternoon after Hurricane Beryl ravaged through the Houston area.
Hidalgo provided the latest updates and impacts of the storm at 2:45 p.m.
Recommended Videos
At least three people were killed during Beryl and millions were left without power as downed powerlines and trees blocked roadways.
During the news conference, Hidalgo stated that flooding and storm surge from the rain and bayous in the county turned out better than expected. She said the wind damage caused the most impact, making it a “pretty bad situation” when it comes to power.
As of Monday evening, the county judge is still urging residents to stay home as it is not safe to drive on roadways that are possibly flooded or blocked by downed trees or powerlines.
There have been reports of a few flooded homes where some people have seen up to a couple of inches of water.
County officials are still at Level 1 Readiness but will move to Level 3 Monday night or Tuesday once an official assessment of the impacted areas have been completed. Once initial assessments have been complete, additional information will be provided.
Hidalgo said the bayous are expected to drain pretty quickly, stating that Addicks and Barker Reservoir “seems fine” as more water is being released into Buffalo Bayou to help prevent further flooding.
The loss of power is the main threat for the county and neighboring counties and 2.2 million customers in the service area are without power and 1.6 million customers in Harris County are without power.
Hidalgo said more people have lost power in the Houston area than those who lost power during May’s Derecho, where nearly 1 million homes and businesses lost power.
CenterPoint Energy has over 10,000 crews coming in to help with power restorations and will be able to provide a timeline on those restorations by Tuesday, according to Hidalgo.
As for rescues, there have been several high-water rescues, 32 in Harris County and 15 rescues in the city of Houston. Hidalgo said they are seeing a decrease in water rescues as street flooding and bayous lower.
The county is planning to set up shelters but will not open Monday because they want people to stay off the roads.
Previous story
On Sunday evening, Hidalgo warned residents of the possible danger ahead of Beryl making landfall on the Texas Coast Monday morning.
As Tropical Storm Beryl approaches, Southeast Texas is already experiencing significant rainfall from the storm’s outer bands.
The initial line of storms, moving south to north, has passed through areas from north of The Woodlands to Sealy, bringing significant rainfall.
By Judge Hidalgo’s press conference, Beryl was a tropical storm with 65 mph winds, moving northwest at 10 mph. It has since strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. The storm is expected to make landfall near Matagorda Bay around 2:00 a.m., as a Category 1 hurricane (as predicted). By 8:00 a.m., hurricane-force winds could affect areas along I-10, including Columbus, Katy, and Houston.
Houston’s primary threats include flooding and tornadoes, with the most severe weather expected between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. The storm will continue to impact the region through the morning, clearing by the afternoon. Future cast models show continuous rain bands until late evening, with heavy rain expected in Houston and south of I-10 around 2:00 a.m.
Hidalgo said Harris County residents should expect to see the worst of the storm from midnight to noon Monday
“The next 24 hours are going to be rough for Harris County.”
The county is currently at a Level 1 readiness, which is the highest readiness level the county could be in. Hidalgo is asking all residents to be inside by 10 p.m. Sunday.