After carving a deadly path through the Caribbean over the last few days, Hurricane Beryl is moving in on the United States. The aviation tracking website FlightAware says that nearly 1,400 flights have been cancelled in America so far today as the storm makes landfall in Texas. The most heavily affected airports are all in Texas:
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport has seen 528 of its departing flights cancelled (80% of all outgoing flights) and 452 of its arriving flights cancelled (67% of all incoming flights)
- Houston’s William P. Hobby International Airport has seen 124 of its departing flights cancelled (61%) and 105 of its arriving flights cancelled (50%)
- Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport has seen 28 of its departing flights cancelled (2%) and 39 of its arriving flights cancelled (3%)
“Houston Airports encourages all travelers to prioritize their safety and the safety of their families,” the Houston Airport System said in a statement Saturday. “Please follow the guidance of local authorities regarding hurricane preparedness. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this weather event.”
So far, the Associated Press reports that Beryl has led to the deaths of seven people between Grenada and Carriacou, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela. The National Weather Service advised that the storm’s effects will be felt most immediately in Texas and as far north as Illinois.
“Beryl is moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h),” the agency said in an advisory Monday. “A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected tonight and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will move over eastern Texas today, then move through the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday. National Weather Service Doppler radar data indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts.”