Texas, United States

Beryl on Monday (Jul 8) brought to Texas howling winds and torrential rains that killed at least three people and left 2.7 million houses without power. Along with this, the tropical storm caused extensive flooding on highways, delayed more than 1,300 flights and caused the closure of schools and major oil ports.

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The season's earliest category 5 hurricane on record, Beryl, has weakened to a tropical storm after hitting the coastal Texas town of Matagorda with all the might of a Category 1 hurricane.

What is a Category 1 hurricane?

A hurricane, as per the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, is considered a Category 1 if it sustains winds between 74 (119 km/h) and 95 miles per hour (152.89 km/h). 

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Also read | Texas closes operations at major ports, braces for destruction as Beryl readies to make landfall

While Category 1 hurricanes are not considered "major hurricanes" until they reach Category 3, they are still very dangerous and can bring with them widespread destruction.

Beryl's devastation

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In Texas, Beryl claimed the lives of three. As per the news agency Reuters, a 53-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman were killed in two separate incidents in the Houston area when trees fell on their homes.

A third individual, a City of Houston employee, drowned in an underpass while travelling to work.

Previously, in Mexico and the Caribbean, the storm killed 11 people, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told reporters.

Also read | Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas, tornado warning issued for several counties

"For those of you in northeast Texas, be aware. You will have tropical storm winds, maybe as late as midnight or 1 am. You will have flooding, you will have rain, and you need to stay off the roads," he warned.

While state officials are yet to assess the damage wrought by storm Beryl, Mayor John Whitmire told reporters that due to the hurricane, floodwaters across most of Houston have exceeded 10 inches (25.4 centimetres). 

"We're literally getting calls across Houston right now asking for first responders to come rescue individuals in desperate life safety conditions," he said.

Furthermore, more than 1,300 flights were cancelled, as officials ordered evacuations in some beach towns. 

(With inputs from agencies)