Storm surge from Tropical Storm Beta causes street flooding on Texas coast leading up to landfall

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Tropical Storm Beta began making an impact on Sunday, and conditions continued Monday morning before the storm made landfall on the Texas coast Monday night. 

According to the 11 p.m. update from the NHC, Tropical Storm Beta crossed the Texas coast near the Matagorda Peninsula around 10 p.m. It has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

Beta is forecast to produce dangerous storm surge, while currently moving at 3 mph. It is expected to make a sharp turn toward the north and northeast on Tuesday. 

NHC updates Monday:Life-threatening storm surge risk along Texas coast

According to the 7 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Beta is located around 70 miles southeast of Port O’Connor and 120 miles south-southwest of Galveston.

Beta is expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rainfall with isolated totals of 15 inches from the middle Texas coast to southeast Louisiana.

Beta is forecast to weaken once the storm moves inland and on Tuesday, should remain just on the southeast side of the Texas coast. 

Storm surge warnings are issued in effect for portions along the Texas coast in these areas: 

• Port Aransas, Texas to Sabine Pass, Texas including Copano Bay, Aransas Bay, San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay, and Galveston Bay.

What is a storm surge warning?

 A storm surge warning means the danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, exists during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations above.

The NHC says people located in these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential of other dangerous conditions. 

How high might the storm surge get? 

The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide, according to NHC: 

• Port Aransas, TX to Sabine Pass, TX including Copano Bay, Aransas Bay, San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay, and Galveston Bay...2-4 ft
• Sabine Pass, TX to Ocean Springs, MS including Sabine Lake, Lake Calcasieu, Vermilion Bay, Lake Borgne, Lake Pontchartrain, and Lake Maurepas…1-3 ft
• Baffin Bay, TX to Port Aransas, TX including Corpus Christi Bay and Baffin Bay… 1-3 ft
• Mouth of the Rio Grande to Baffin Bay, TX…1-2 ft

Conditions in Louisiana: Flooding begins along Louisiana coast

The NHC says the deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds. The surge will be accompanied by dangerous waves in those areas.

See videos of storm conditions along the Texas coast Sunday as Tropical Storm Beta makes its way to land:

Clear Lake Shores, Texas

League City, Texas

Seabrook, Texas

Freeport, Texas

Galveston, Texas

Galveston Bay

Channelview, Texas

Beaumont, Texas

Rockport, Texas

Matagorda Bay

Bacliff, Texas

Bay Harbor, Texas

Jamaica Beach, Texas

North Padre Island, Texas

San Luis Pass, Texas

Watch live: Webcams of Texas beaches show Tropical Storm Beta approaching

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