By Tyler Clifford
(Reuters) – Hurricane Beryl strengthened as it neared the Texas coast on Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, forcing the closure of major oil ports, flight cancellations and a warning it would be a deadly storm for communities hit.
Beryl, the earliest category 5 hurricane on record, last week swept through Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, toppling buildings and power lines and killing at least 11 people.
The storm weakened after its deadly trail of destruction across the Caribbean, but strengthened into a category 1 hurricane as it crossed the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
By the time it reaches landfall near Houston on Monday it could be a category 2 storm.
“Additional strengthening is expected before landfall on the Texas coast,” the NHC said in its latest advisory.
Acting Governor Patrick on Sunday declared 120 counties to be disaster areas ahead of the …