Prepare for Hurricane Beryl, says Lt. Gov. Patrick: 'A determined storm that is still strong'

As Hurricane Beryl nears landfall on the Texas coast, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick advised residents across the state Friday to prepare themselves for the storm.

With Gov. Greg Abott on a trip to Asia, Patrick led preparations for the imminent approach of Hurricane Beryl, which recently made history as the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded.

Though Beryl has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, Patrick warned Texans to remain cautious and prepare for severe weather. 

“This is a determined storm that is still strong,” he said during a media briefing. 

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Hurricane Beryl expected to strengthen before hitting Texas

Beryl weakened to a tropical storm on Friday afternoon as it crossed Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, but it is expected to regain intensity, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is forecast to pass over the Gulf of Mexico before it reaches the coastal United States late Sunday and into early Monday morning. 

A high degree of uncertainty remained Friday as to exactly where Beryl would make landfall and how strong the storm would be when it does, according to experts at the National Weather Service. 

“We’re right on the cusp of getting a better forecast,” meteorologist Chris Morris said. “What’s going to happen when Beryl moves back over water? That’s going to be our pivot point.”

In the next 15 hours, the service will be able to narrow its predictions both for Beryl’s path and its intensity, Morris said. 

“We pray and we hope for nothing more than a rain event, but even a rain event may be very heavy,” Patrick said.

How Texans should prepare

The lieutenant governor advised Texans across the state, but especially those on the coast, to watch for updates on Beryl’s path over the weekend. 

He urged Texans to avoid travel after Monday, when the storm is forecast to make landfall in the United States. 

Even as a tropical storm, Beryl is forecast to bring heavy rains. It could dump as many as 15 inches in some places, Patrick warned. 

More:NHC map shows most of Texas in Hurricane Beryl's path. Here's how much rain it could bring

The greatest danger in storms of this kind is not wind, Patrick emphasized, but flooding. And with the possibility of more than a foot of rain in a very short period of time, flooding is likely wherever Beryl passes, Patrick said. 

In preparation for the storm's arrival, Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, advised Texans to avoid travel but have vehicles fueled in case of emergency. Kidd also advised residents to prepare by stocking up on food and water and checking on loved ones, neighbors and friends. 

“We need a prepared community, not a panicked community,” Kidd said in the final moments of Friday’s media advisory.