HOUSTON -- At least seven people have died in the Houston region as a result of Hurricane Beryl, according to city and county officials.
Three of the seven confirmed fatalities were reported in Montgomery County. An emergency management official said a man in his 40s was killed by a falling tree while riding his tractor. Two other people were discovered dead in a tent in a wooded area in Magnolia. No other details were immediately available.
"We are deeply saddened by these losses and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends affected," said Trey Baxter, spokesperson for the county's emergency management team, in a news release. "Our priority remains the safety and well-being of all residents as we continue our recovery efforts."The identities of the individuals killed in Montgomery County have yet to be released.
A civilian employee of the Houston Police Department was found dead in a submerged car in the floodwaters of Houston Avenue near City Hall.
Acting HPD Chief Larry Satterwhite later identified the man in a post on X as Russell Richardson, a 54-year-old HPD information security officer who was caught in rising flood waters on Houston Avenue.
Mayor John Whitmire, who hailed the man as a "hero," said Richardson was on his way to work Monday morning after exiting Interstate 45.
Investigators determined a Houston house fire that killed a man early Monday was likely caused by lightning from the storm.
Earlier, county officials confirmed two deaths from fallen trees: a 53-year-old man in Humble and a 73-year-old grandmother in Spring.
A man died after a tree fell on a home in Kings River Village in Humble, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed on X.
Gonzalez said the man, 53, was sitting in his home with his family, waiting out the storm, when an oak tree fell on their roof and a structure fell on the man.
Gonzalez confirmed another death around 10 a.m. after a tree fell on 74-year-old Maria Loredo in the 17400 block of Rustic Canyon Trail. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Loredo, a grandmother, was in her bedroom at the time.
Local officials urged residents to remain home as crews continue to assess the damage. An array of hazards continues to threaten public safety, including falling trees, high water, hanging power lines, broken traffic signals, and — of course —widespread power outages.
Laurie Christensen, the Harris County fire marshal, urged residents with generators to ensure they are not running indoors or in garages. The devices should be kept at least 15 to 20 feet away from a home, and she called carbon monoxide poisoning a "silent killer" after storms.
"We can't even get there to save you because you can't wake up to tell us you need us," Christensen said.
The hurricane, which was downgraded to a tropical storm late Monday morning as it moved inland, has claimed at least 12 lives in the Caribbean, according to Caribbean National Weekly, with three fatalities confirmed in Grenada and Carriacou, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and three in northern Venezuela.
Beryl began as a Category 5 hurricane and was downgraded to a Category 4 before slamming into Jamaica last week. It made landfall near Matagorda, Texas around 4 a.m. on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane.
Correction ( July 8, 5:55 p.m.): An earlier version of the story misspelled the name of Maria Loredo.
This story is developing and will be updated when new information is available.
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