Tropical Storm Beryl: Port Lavaca braces for storm amid voluntary evacuations

Tropical Storm Beryl is closing in on the Texas coast and landfall is imminent. People across the region are scrambling to make final preparations before the storm’s impact.

With landfall expected in just hours, residents of Port Lavaca are preparing for the storm’s impact. Many businesses are boarding up their windows and closing until the storm passes.

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"We boarded up our house. I plan to go back home and fill the tub with water," said Dorothy Parker, a resident in Port Lavaca. 

A voluntary evacuation order was put in place in Matagorda County and Calhoun County. Some people choose to leave the coast for higher ground and some choose to stick out the storm. 

"We bought water yesterday. We bought a lot of canned goods. He went to Walmart or HEB and the shelves were empty," said Parker. 

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Meanwhile, in Matagorda County, a declaration of disaster was issued on Sunday. County officials said the area is under imminent threat of widespread damage, injury, and loss of life or property.

"Now is the time to leave. Don’t wait until the roads are covered because then you’re going to be isolated," said Mitch Thames, the public information officer for Matagorda County.

Officials are urging people to wrap up their last-minute errands and get ready for the rain.