Hurricane Beryl downgraded to tropical storm after hitting Texas with 100 mph winds: Live tracking updates

A 53-year-old man was killed during Hurricane Beryl after a tree fell on his home outside Houston, authorities said.

Authorities in Harris County, Texas, said the man, whose name was not released, died after being trapped under debris, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Monday morning.

The 53-year-old man was reportedly sitting in his home along 20900 Heather Grove Court in Kings River Village in Humble, Texas, with his family as they rode out the storm. The sheriff said an oak tree fell onto the roof and hit the rafters, causing the structure to fall on the man.

His wife and children were not harmed.

Gonzalez said firefighters were on the scene and he was trying to get to the house.

Tropical Storm Beryl hit Texas Monday morning after causing widespread destruction in the Caribbean. The storm brought 100 mph wind gusts and a dangerous storm surge to the Lone Star State. Videos and photos on social media showed the winds destroying homes and uprooting trees.

More than 2 million customers without power in the Houston area as Beryl eyes state’s largest city.

Strong winds, flooded roads and downed trees caused power lines to fall and power outages to occur.

Electric company CenterPoint Energy warned local residents to stay away from power lines: “If you see a downed line, assume it is energized and stay at least 35 feet away.”

The company also advised against parking or driving through floodwaters “as they can carry electrical current from downed power lines.”

Brill is quickly heading to Texas.

Residents of the upper Texas Gulf Coast and the eastern part of the state should prepare for flash flooding today and tonight, while strong wind gusts could hit Houston this afternoon.

Officials also warned beachgoers in Texas to beware of dangerous water currents due to dangerous conditions.

While many communities, islands and countries experienced some of Beryl’s worst conditions, from its peak as a deadly Category 5 hurricane to its continued strength as a tropical storm.

However, AccuWeather reporters believe there are plenty of named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher) ahead.

Accuweather Lead hurricane expert Alex da Silva said it will only take a week or two for sea surface temperatures to rise in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, meaning the risk of more tropical storm threats in the Gulf of Mexico will increase.

“We’ve been concerned about this hurricane season and the risks to the Texas coast since AccuWeather first issued its forecast in March. Water temperatures in most of the Gulf of Mexico are as warm as bathwater. This warm water is at the surface, extending hundreds of feet down. Warm water acts as jet fuel for hurricanes, and it won’t be long before temperatures rise in the wake of Beryl,” DaSilva said.

“We will be closely monitoring the Gulf of Mexico and Texas coast for additional tropical threats this summer. AccuWeather is forecasting 20 to 25 named storms and four to six direct impacts to the U.S. this season.”

while, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service meteorologists in May predicted 17 to 25 named storms in the Atlantic this year, with 8 to 13 of those storms expected to become hurricanes.

A second person was killed when a tree fell amid dangerously strong winds that had already killed another person a few miles away.

A 74-year-old grandmother was injured after a tree fell on her residence in the 17400 block of Rustic Canyon Trail Road in Houston, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on social media.

Police pronounced the woman dead at the scene. The victim’s granddaughter called authorities after a tree fell through the ceiling of her grandmother’s room.

“Please keep her family in your prayers,” Mark Herman of Harris County Sheriff’s Department 4 wrote on social media.

This comes hours after another person died in Humble after a tree fell on a house and a man was trapped under debris.

The 53-year-old man was sitting in his home with his family during the storm, when an oak tree fell onto the roof and hit the rafters, causing the structure to fall on the man, the police chief said.

His wife and children were not harmed.

A total of 1,950 flights were canceled across the United States on Monday as Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a hurricane early in the morning.

While not all flights may be canceled due to severe weather, airlines continue to monitor the situation in Texas, which is currently bearing the brunt of Hurricane Beryl’s impact.

United Airlines has so far canceled 409 flights today as of 11:20 a.m. CST, according to tracking data from Flight Aware Offers.

“We continue to monitor Brielle and have reduced flights at Houston International Airport (IAH) Sunday night and Monday,” United Airlines said in a statement to NBC News.

Houston’s airports still top the list of airports with the most canceled flights on Monday, according to the data.

Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport is currently experiencing 80 percent cancellations, a total of 531 flights, due to strong winds brought by Hurricane Beryl.

80 percent of flights at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport have also been canceled, with 163 flights unable to take off today.

More than 20,000 flights have been delayed across the country today.

Beryl has now weakened to a tropical storm, losing its hurricane status, however, authorities warn that life-threatening conditions still pose a significant risk.

As of 10 a.m. CDT, Beryl has become a tropical storm. Life-threatening storm surge flooding continues throughout the afternoon along the Texas coast from Port O’Connor to Sabine Pass, including the eastern portion of Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay.

Destructive wind gusts near the core of Beryl will continue to spread northward over the next few hours into the Tropical Storm Warning Area, which includes the Houston metropolitan area.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the Texas coast from north of Port O’Connor north to Sabine Passage.

A Storm Surge Warning is also in effect for the area from Port O’Connor to Sabine Pass, including Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay.

Flash flooding and major urban flooding is expected today and into tonight for portions of the central and upper Texas Gulf Coast and East Texas.

Isolated flooding is also expected on small and large rivers.

Parts of the northern and western coasts of the Gulf are expected to experience life-threatening beach conditions due to strong currents through Tuesday, with beachgoers advised to heed warning flags and advice from lifeguards and local officials before entering the water.