Travellers flying in or out of Houston’s two major airports are having a tough day of it after Hurricane Beryl smashed into south Texas.
Beryl hit the southwest coast of Texas near Galveston on 08JUL as a strong Category 1 hurricane. The storm battered the state with winds of 100 km/hour or more, and heavy rains sparked flash flood warnings.
FlightAware.com reports that more than 1,000 flights were cancelled in and out of Houston Bush International (IAH) and William P Hobby (HOU). As of 8 a.m. ET on O8JUL, the website noted 973 cancelled departures and arrivals at IAH and 226 at HOU.
The ports of Corpus Christi, Houston and Galveston also were closed, which could potentially impact cruise ships.
Newsweek said two cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas and Carnival Dream, were spotted off the coast of Galveston as Hurricane Beryl hit Texas in the early hours of 08JUL. The two ships were said to be heading eastward, presumably in an attempt to get ahead of the storm.
Beryl has weakened considerably since virtually destroying several islands in the Caribbean as a Category Five hurricane, but authorities say it could still cause widespread power outages and disruption as far inland as Houston, the BBC reported.
The US National Hurricane Center director, Michael Brennan, has warned those living in Beryl's path to find a safe place to be through O8JUL "as hazardous conditions will persist even after the centre of Beryl moves through."
"There's a very considerable risk of flash flooding across the Texas Gulf Coast, eastern Texas, ArkaTex [Arkansas-Texas] region,” he said.
Reports say Beryl caused up to 11 deaths in the Caribbean and Venezuela as it whipped through the region last week. Beryl is the earliest reported Category Five hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean in recorded history.
