Hurricane Beryl leaves trail of damage, widespread power outages in Galveston

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Texas coast blasted by Hurricane Beryl's high winds, storm surge

The Texas coast, including Galveston, felt the worst of Hurricane Beryl as the storm roared ashore on Monday morning. FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne was there as the storm tracked inland, speaking with residents about what they experienced and touring the damage left behind.

GALVESTON, Texas – Power restoration remains a primary focus for Galveston residents after Hurricane Beryl, as temperatures are expected to soar to dangerous levels Tuesday.

The coastal resort city suffered significant wind damage, resulting in downed power lines, transformers, trees and debris. As a result, a large portion of the county is still without power.

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Andrew Parada, an employee at Residence Inn, mops up the floor as water leaks during Hurricane Beryl on Monday, July 8, 2024, in Galveston.

(Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle / Getty Images)

At the height of Beryl, Galveston saw a top wind gust of 86 mph and recorded four straight hours of 70 mph gusts. Storm surge flooding was also a major concern.

Measurements at Morgan’s Point along the shores of Upper Galveston Bay reached 5.4 feet above the mean high water level, which is now the third-highest surge on record. It was also the highest storm surge since it reached 7.78 feet during Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Several residents, like Larry Shivers, decided to hunker down and ride out the storm rather than seek shelter inland.

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"I just sat there and watched everything," he told FOX Weather. "It pushed my golf cart up underneath the house and up against a palm tree. It knocked my windshield out, and I found it out in the water."

Yet through it all, Shivers said he wasn’t scared.

"This is the second time I've been through it," he added.

The winds have calmed and the storm surge waters are back in the Gulf of Mexico, but homes in disarray and destroyed by Beryl’s violent winds, coupled with debris strewn all around after the floodwaters receded, will be a significant concern for those still working outside and unable to take proper breaks to cool off.

Power restoration may take 3 days … to 2 weeks

City officials said that while power restoration efforts are moving forward, they warned residents to prepare for a possible multi-day power outage. The estimated timeline for parts of the island ranges from 72 hours to two weeks.

CenterPoint Energy said they have restored power to almost 285,000 customers of the more than 2.7 million in the dark following the storm. The utility company expects to have 1 million impacted customers restored by the end of the day Wednesday.

"While we tracked the projected path, intensity and timing for Hurricane Beryl closely for many days, this storm proved the unpredictability of hurricanes as it delivered a powerful blow across our service territory and impacted a lot of lives," said Lynnae Wilson, senior vice president of CenterPoint Energy. "We know we have important work ahead for our customers who depend on us, especially during the hot summer months." 

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Fallen power lines on Termini San Louis Pass Road on Galveston Island as a result of Hurricane Beryl on Monday, July 8, 2024.

(Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle / Getty Images)

Lack of air conditioning makes summer heat more miserable

Mostly sunny skies, light winds and lingering moisture in the wake of Beryl will produce heat index values up to 105 degrees Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

"While this would normally be below criteria for a Heat Advisory, the widespread loss of power and air conditioning across SE TX could make for dangerous conditions through the day," the agency said.

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(A look at the heat index in Galveston, Texas, the next four days. / FOX Weather)

The Texas Department of Emergency Management is collecting surveys to assess the extent of damage to the area. These surveys will determine whether the threshold has been met for assistance from FEMA.