Beryl moved into the the Gulf of Mexico Friday and took aim at the south Texas coast after battering Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Texas officials issued disaster declarations and urge coastal residents to prepare as the storm headed their way.

Beryl hit Tulum as a Category 2 hurricane and toppled trees but caused no injuries or deaths before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the peninsula. The U.S. National Hurricane Center expects the storm to regain hurricane strength in the warm waters of the Gulf and hit south Texas by late Sunday or early Monday.

Beryl, the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, caused at least 11 deaths as it passed through the Caribbean islands earlier in the week.

The storm’s center Friday afternoon was in the Gulf just off Mexico, about 615 miles (995 kilometers) southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. It was moving west-northwest at 13 mph (about 20 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), the hurricane center said.

Once in the Gulf, Beryl could regain wind speed of 90 mph (150 kph) before hitting Texas, though it is hard to tell now where it could make landfall, forecasters said. Hurricane watches were in effect from the Rio Grande north, covering most of the Texas coast.

Some Texas counties have already issued voluntary evacuation orders in low-lying areas, and Texas officials urged coastal residents to prepare.

Along the Texas coast in Corpus Christi, city officials announced it had distributed 10,000 sandbags in less than two hours Friday, exhausting its supply.

“This is a determined storm that is still strong,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at a news conference.

Patrick issued a pre-emptive disaster declaration for 40 counties that allows state and local authorities to start planning and contracting for response.

Nim Kidd, chief of state emergency operations, said oil companies have started moving employees off rigs along the coast that may be in the path of the storm.

Northeastern Mexico and southern Texas were already soaked by Tropical Storm Alberto just a couple of weeks ago.

Beryl spread destruction in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados this week. Three people have been reported dead in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela and two in Jamaica, officials said.

The head of Mexico’s civil defense agency, Laura Velázquez, said Beryl hadn’t caused any deaths or injuries there and that “damages were minor,” though tens of thousands of people remained without power.

Tulum was plunged into darkness when the storm knocked out power as it came ashore. Screeching winds set off car alarms across the town. Wind and rain continued to whip the seaside city and surrounding areas Friday morning. Army brigades roved the streets of the tourist city, clearing fallen trees and power lines.

After seeing Beryl tear through the Caribbean, 37-year-old Lucía Nagera Balcaza was among those who stocked up on food and hid away in their homes.

“Thank god, we woke up this morning and everything was all right,” she said. “The streets are a disaster, but we’re out here cleaning up.”

Before the storm hit Mexico, official had set up shelters in schools and hotels. When the wind began gusting over Tulum’s beaches Thursday, officials on four-wheelers with megaphones rolled along the sand telling people to leave and authorities evacuated beachside hotels. Sea turtle eggs were even moved off beaches threatened by storm surge.

Tourists also took precautions. Lara Marsters, 54, a therapist visiting Tulum from Boise, Idaho, said she had filled up empty water bottles from the tap.

“We’re going to hunker down and stay safe,” she said.

While many in the Yucatan Peninsula took a deep breath, Jamaica and other islands ravaged by the hurricane were still reeling. As of Friday morning, 55% of Jamaica still without electricity and most of the country was without running water, according to government figures.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness promised swift relief for residents affected by Hurricane Beryl after visiting one of the worst-affected areas of the island, the southern parish of St Elizabeth on Thursday afternoon.

“I know some of you are experiencing discomfort and displacement, and I want to assure you that the government will move as quickly as we can to get you the help you need,” he said.

Earlier in the week, the hurricane damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and ripped off roofs and knocked out electricity in Jamaica.

On Union Island, part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a man who identified himself as Captain Baga described the storm’s impact, including how he had filled two 2,000-gallon (7,570-liter) rubber water tanks in preparation.

“I strapped them down securely on six sides; and I watched the wind lift those tanks and take them away — filled with water,” he said Thursday. “I’m a sailor and I never believed wind could do what I saw it do. If anyone (had) ever told me wind could do that, I would have told them they lie!”

The island was littered with debris from homes that looked like they had exploded.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – FRIDAY, JULY 3 – 9 P.M. CT – As Tropical Storm Beryl enters the Gulf of Mexico, the once Category 5 hurricane is expected to re-intensify before making a final landfall along the Texas Gulf Coast.

KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding is LIVE in Corpus Christi, Texas as the community prepares just two weeks after Tropical Storm Alberto battered the region.

While some locals are preparing by using the more than 14,000 sandbags made by Corpus Christi city workers, vacationers to the barrier islands are soaking in every bit of sun they can get.

This story will be updated to bring the latest reports from KPRC2′s Gage Goulding along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Texas officials have suggested that residents take steps now to prepare for Hurricane Beryl’s impending landfall, such as fueling their cars.

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Beryl strengthened into a hurricane last Saturday, becoming June’s easternmost major hurricane in the Atlantic. The storm underwent rapid intensification and became a Category 4 hurricane as soon as its wind speeds reached 130 miles per hour. It has killed at least 11 people, according to The Associated Press.

The system temporarily weakened to a Category 3 before strengthening again, with maximum winds documented at 150 mph when it made landfall in the Windward Islands on Monday morning.

At one point, Hurricane Beryl was categorized as a Category 5, but it has since weakened to a tropical storm with wind speeds at 70 miles per hour as of Friday afternoon as it was exiting the Yucatan peninsula.

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Several meteorologists have expressed concern that Beryl could strengthen again as it moves through the Gulf. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd held a press briefing on Friday to urge residents to take the right steps to prepare for the storm.

“We really won’t know for several more hours of exactly where landfall may be, but we have high confidence that this system is coming somewhere to Texas,” Kidd said. “With that, we would ask that people take the time to make sure that their vehicles are fueled, make sure that they have food and water and that they’ve taken care of their pets, check on their family members and taking the time now to prepare so that whenever this thing is making landfall you’re already where you’re needed to be.”

Despite the storm’s wind speeds upon landfall, officials are warning that Beryl also could produce heavy rain of up to 12 inches or more, which could cause flooding.

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Newsweek has reached out to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) by email for comment.

Texas officials also warned of rip currents, which could make beach conditions hazardous as early as this weekend.

Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and the second named storm. Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall in Mexico on the morning of June 20. Shortly after Beryl formed, the third named storm of the season—Tropical Storm Chris—formed quickly on Sunday night. Chris made landfall in Mexico that night, with wind speeds around 40 mph. It has since dissolved.

Multiple agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have issued forecasts warning that 2024 will be an exceptionally strong year for hurricanes.

NOAA anticipates from 17 to 25 named storms for an above-average hurricane season. Of the 25, from eight to 13 will be hurricanes, and from four to seven will be major ones. The forecast number of named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes is the highest NOAA has ever issued in a May outlook.

Several factors are contributing to this year’s storm-heavy predictions, including abnormally warm sea surface temperatures and the expectation that El Nino will transition into La Nina this summer or fall.