Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane at Matagorda, Texas at 4 a.m. Monday. It then weakened to a high-end tropical storm with some wind gusts near the center near hurricane force. Flood, wind and tornado threats gradually decreased Monday as Beryl continued tracking north.
Due to the weather damage and power outages from Beryl, all Polk County and City of Livingston offices remained closed Monday and Tuesday, with essential personnel reporting to their respective departments for further instructions. Power connectivity and communications were severely impacted by the weather.
The Polk County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) eventually recovered minimal connectivity and communication capability, with all emergency services and providers working diligently on the infrastructure needs of the county. Wind damage was extensive and will require time to repair. Remain vigilant if you must drive, as there are multiple trees, power lines, telephone poles and other obstacles in the roadways.
A heat advisory was issued for Southeast Texas Tuesday with heat index values up to 105 degrees. Coupled with the widespread loss of power and air conditioning, it makes for dangerous conditions. Polk County OEM encouraged citizens to make arrangements and take precautions.
Numerous cooling centers were opened throughout the county Tuesday. The locations were set up for cooling purposes only, however, and not to provide food or supplies. Cooling centers were opened at the Polk County Commerce Center, the Onalaska Fire Station No. 51, Goodrich ISD and South Polk County Volunteer Fire Department.
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