Beryl Makes Landfall as Hurricane – What Louisiana Can Expect

Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center were very confident that Tropical Storm Beryl would return to hurricane status before the center of circulation crossed the middle Texas coast in the early hours of July 8, 2024. The storm was upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane as of 11 pm. The center of circulation made landfall just a few short hours after that designation was confirmed.

During the day Sunday as Beryl approached the coast southern Louisiana began to see large rain bands spiraling out from the storm's center. Even though the storm was centered hundreds of miles away and was a shadow of its former Category 5 self, Beryl was still kicking up heavy downpours and more than a few funnel clouds as the storm system approached the coast.

That radar scan was captured at 1:45 this morning. At that time the center of Beryl was about 30 miles off shore. But what is more concerning for Louisiana residents is the rain band you see between Baton Rouge and Lafayette. That rain band has been "training" over the same basic area of the state for several hours. This is what Louisiana can expect from Beryl during the course of the day today.

Cities such as Lafayette and Baton Rouge and New Orleans will be subject to these passing rain bands off and on throughout the day. Further to the west in Lake Charles rainfall amounts will likely be heavier and the rain bands more concentrated.

As you can see the Lake Charles area along with a large portion of Louisiana's southwestern coastline should anticipate two to four inches of rain between now and Tuesday. Rainfall rates will increase for northern Louisiana as Beryl's remnants move northward through eastern Texas.

Southwestern Louisiana is also included in the "Marginal Risk" zone for an excessive rainfall event today. An excessive rainfall event is when rainfall rates produce accumulations higher than municipal drainage systems can handle over a short period of time. These events usually lead to temporary street flooding which dissipates shortly after the rain stops.

There could also be a risk of severe storms across the region today. The Storm Prediction Center has placed the area of Louisiana generally west of US 165 in the "slight risk" for severe storms category for today. While portions of the state east of US 165 to almost Baton Rouge are in the "marginal risk" for severe storms category.

Landfalling tropical systems are notorious for producing funnel clouds and tornadoes as they make landfall. The most likely location for severe and rotating storms is in the northeast quadrant of the storm which is where cities such as Lake Charles, Crowley, and Lafayette, will be situated as the cyclone continues its march onshore.