Alberto, the first named tropical storm of the season, dumps rain on Mexico and Texas – Baltimore Sun

By ALFREDO PEÑA and MARIANA MARTÍNEZ BARBA (Associated Press)

TAMPICO, Mexico (AP) — Tropical Storm Alberto formed Wednesday in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, the first named storm of what is expected to be a busy hurricane season.

Alberto, which brings strong winds, heavy rainfall and some flooding along the coasts of Texas and Mexico, is expected to make landfall in northern Mexico early Thursday.

“The heavy rain and water, as usual, is the biggest story with tropical storms,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center.

The National Hurricane Center said late Wednesday that Alberto was about 140 miles (220 kilometers) east of Tampico, Mexico, and about 320 miles (510 kilometers) south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km per hour). ). ). The storm was moving west at 9 miles per hour.

The center of the storm was expected to reach the northeastern coast of Mexico, south of the mouth of the Rio Grande, on Thursday morning.

As much as 5 to 10 inches of rain was expected in some areas along the Texas coast, with even higher isolated totals possible, Brennan said. He said some higher locations in Mexico could see as much as 50 centimeters of rain, which could result in mudslides and flash flooding, especially in the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon.

The municipal government of Tampico, a port city in Tamaulipas state, announced Wednesday afternoon that authorities had activated a command center in collaboration with water, electricity and oil companies.

Many residents were excited about the prospect of heavy showers as Tamaulipas and most of Mexico have experienced extreme droughts.

“We needed the water we’re getting now, thank God. Let’s hope we only get water,” said Tampico resident Blanca Coronel Moral. “Our lagoon, which supplies our drinking water, is completely dry.”

Tamaulipas Gov. Américo Villarreal said Wednesday on X that schools across the state will remain closed between Wednesday and Friday.

Civil Protection Coordinator in Tamaulipas, Luis Gerardo Gonzalez, said they have 333 shelters in each municipality, spread across the state. “As the storm moves, we will open more shelters.”

Authorities urged residents to be aware of the warnings shared by the state and municipal civil defense. They expect the storm to arrive overnight and communities closest to the coast will be the hardest hit.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect from the Texas coast at San Luis Pass south to the mouth of the Rio Grande and from the northeastern coast of Mexico south of the mouth of the Rio Grande to Tecolutla.

“Rapid weakening is expected as the center moves inland, and Alberto will likely dissipate over Mexico,” the center said Thursday.

The National Weather Service said the biggest danger to the southern Texas coast is flooding from excessive rain. On Wednesday, the NWS said there is a “high probability” of flash flooding in the southern Texas coast. Tornadoes or waterspouts are possible.

NOAA predicts that the hurricane season, which began June 1 and runs through November 30, will likely be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast calls for no fewer than thirteen hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

An average Atlantic hurricane season produces fourteen named storms, seven of which are hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Brennan said the storm will create dangerous currents and motorists should watch for road closures and turn around if they see water covering the roads.

Areas along the Texas coast experienced some road flooding and dangerous currents on Wednesday, and waterspouts were spotted offshore. “We’ve seen a few short spin-ups there and some waterspouts,” said Tyler Castillo, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi.

Tim Cady, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Houston, said they will be monitoring coastal flooding Thursday morning as the high tide comes in.

“If we have these strong onshore winds combined with high tides, it could result in coastal flooding, especially in our lower coastal areas,” Cady said.

An unnamed storm earlier in June dumped more than 20 inches of rain on parts of South Florida, leaving scores of motorists stranded on flooded streets and causing water to enter some homes in low-lying areas.

“People underestimate the power of water and sometimes do not always take rainfall and the threats that come with it seriously, especially if you are driving in an area and you see that there is water on the road, you don’t want to drive in it,” said Brennan.

___ AP journalists Jamie Stengle in Dallas and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.