Hurricane Beryl downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall in Texas
Hurricane Beryl, initially hitting the US coast of Matagorda as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday morning, has now been downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved inland across eastern Texas.
PHOTO: Aerial view of the Port of Houston, Texas. Getty Images
The storm brought with it heavy rainfall, strong winds and hazardous conditions, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Marathon Petroleum has gradually resumed operations at its Galveston Bay refinery following precautionary shutdowns on Monday, according to Reuters. However, product distribution via ocean tankers remains restricted, posing challenges for the transportation of refined products. The 631,000 b/d refinery processes a wide variety of crude into gasoline, distillate, heavy fuel oil, and many other products.
The US Coast Guard has maintained Port Condition Zulu, ceasing all vessel movements in the affected ports on the US Gulf Coast. The Port of Corpus Christi, the nation's largest export hub, has suspended operations since Sunday. Other ports in the region, such as Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City, have also suspended operations.
US-based marine fuel supplier John W. Stone Oil Distributor has yet to fully assess its facilities' status post-storm but is preparing to resume normal activities in the Houston area. All bunker barges have been fully loaded to ensure smooth supply after the weather improves, the company said in a LinkedIn note.
Despite Hurricane Beryl's passage, severe weather effects such as high winds and storm surges persist, causing ongoing disruptions to maritime and onshore operations as recovery efforts continue.
By Debarati Bhattacharjee
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