The second named storm and third tropical cyclone of the annual hurricane season, Beryl developed from an upper-level low pressure area over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on August 14.

Beryl then moved slowly northeastward and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) before making landfall near Panama City, Florida, early on August 16.

Tropical storm force winds left about 20,000 people without electricity, while flooding from heavy rainfall damaged vehicles and roads.

In South Carolina, the state suffering the most damage, a total of 23 tornadoes were spawned, including three rated F3 on the Fujita scale.

A large upper-level low pressure area developed over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean to the north of Puerto Rico on August 9.

The disturbance moved westward, and despite weakening to a trough in the upper levels of the atmosphere, there was evidence of a low- to mid-level circulation off the southwest coast of Florida on August 12.

Between 16:30 and 20:11 UTC on August 14, the system was nearly stationary; a few hours later, there were indications that the storm's center reformed to the east of its original location.

[4] At 12:00 UTC on August 15, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Beryl,[1] based on a reconnaissance aircraft flight observing 58 mph (93 km/h) at an altitude of 1,500 ft (460 m).

[6] At 00:00 UTC on August 16, Beryl reached its maximum sustained wind speed of 60 mph (95 km/h) and then made landfall near Panama City, Florida.

[1] Initially, the public advisories issued by the National Hurricane Center on the storm warned primarily of heavy rain, as Beryl was expected to remain a weak cyclone.

[14] A tornado watch was declared for central and eastern North Carolina on August 17; similar advisories were placed into effect over parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

[17] Tropical Storm Beryl was a weak system, and unlike Alberto, its rapid motion up the Eastern Seaboard spread its heavy rainfall across a large area.

Five deaths were reported,[19] while a large number of people – 37 in Lexington County, South Carolina, alone – were injured by the tornadoes Beryl produced as it weakened.

The highest observed precipitation total in the state was 10.69 in (272 mm) in Apalachicola, though heavier rainfall likely occurred in areas to the east.

[19] In addition, precipitation from Tropical Storm Alberto earlier in the season and Beryl produced nearly 30 in (762 mm) of rain in some areas of the Florida Panhandle in the span of barely more than a month.

Oysters in the Apalachicola Bay could not be harvested in the prime winter of 1994, due to runoff from the sediment of rivers, from 10 in (250 mm) of rain.

[22] Wind caused minor damage to roofs and downed trees, signs, and power lines, leaving about 20,000 customers without electricity.

The first, an F1 spawned near Hartwell, demolished two mobile homes, tossed two others, and uprooted several large trees, leaving about $320,000 in property damage.

An F3 tornado in the area damaged or destroyed 200 homes and 40 to 50 buildings, including a shopping center and five electrical substations, which left approximately 15,000 people without power.

Another F3 tornado touched down 4 mi (6.4 km) south of Lexington, where it completely leveled a square stick frame home.

[23] After the storm, then-Governor Carroll A. Campbell Jr. declared a state of emergency for Lexington County due to tornado damage and dispatched 100 South Carolina National Guard police to the area.

Farther east, Guilford County observed 1.28 in (33 mm) of rain in only 33 minutes, flooding numerous roads and causing 11 car accidents.

Another F1 tornado in Harnett County near Buies Creek downed a number of trees and damaged several mobile homes, trapping some people inside.

Flash flooding occurred in several counties, though high waters caused little impact other than inundating roads and low bridges.

Thunderstorm winds knocked down some trees, with six falling on power lines in Cana, leaving about 500 people without electricity.

In West Virginia, 2 to 4 in (51 to 102 mm) of rainfall in a short period of time in some areas resulted in street flooding in Morgan and Pendleton.

A house burned down in Middlebury Township after flooding forced fire fighters to take 15 mi (24 km) worth of detours.

In Clinton County, a few roads were closed due to flooding, while State Route 144 was shut down south of Renovo because of mudslides.

Beryl's remnants inflicted $650,000 in municipal damage to Steuben County, where one man was rescued from flood waters by a local fire department.