KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) - The Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management confirms that one of Tropical Storm Beryl's projected paths has it coming over Fort Bend County and the heaviest rains and wind are expected to arrive in the area around midnight tonight (Sunday) and continue through the morning hours Monday.
"Tropical-storm force winds should reach the coast, near Matagorda Bay, around sunset on Sunday and push into Galveston Island a few hours later," wrote Space City Weather meteorologist Eric Berger. "The stronger winds will move into much of the rest of the metro area just before or after midnight tonight. The heaviest rains will arrive around the same time."
The storm remains on course to make landfall near Matagorda between midnight and 4 am CT on Monday.
The National Weather Service has a tropical storm warning in effect until further notice. When Beryl hits land, the storm is expected to intensify to a Category 1 hurricane, but Berger says that may not happen.
"They are still calling for an 85-mph, Category 1 hurricane at landfall, with the likelihood of rapid intensification this evening," Berger wrote.
But he says Beryl is struggling to intensify because of some dry air in its core, and he says time is running out for it to strengthen.
"I am rooting for that dry air to keep disrupting things for just a little while longer."
Here is the latest weather forecast for Katy
Here is what we do know:
- The storm's track places Katy/Fort Bend on its more severe side (the dirty side), which means we're at risk for strong winds, heavy rainfall, debris, downed trees, power outages, flooding, and the potential for tornadoes.
- Fort Bend Emergency Management believes Beryl will move through Fort Bend County by around 2 p.m. Monday, so the most severe weather is expected before that time.
- CenterPoint is staging repair crews at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg to initiate power restoration efforts immediately after the storm passes.