More than two million people along the Texas Gulf Coast were placed under a tropical storm warning Thursday morning as Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, approached the coast of Mexico, bringing intense rainfall and storm surge.
A massive storm system brought widespread coastal flooding to southern Texas on Wednesday, well before the storm was expected to make landfall. Officials in Mexico said they were clearing drainage points to prevent flooding and monitoring the levels of dams, rivers and waterfalls.
At least three people died in storm-related incidents in Mexico's Nuevo Leon state, according to local media reports. A teenager was trapped in a current in a river and drowned, while two other minors were electrocuted while crossing a pond that came into contact with a live cable, El Universal newspaper reported, citing local emergency officials.
In Texas, tides began surging below elevated homes in some coastal towns as early as Wednesday, including Surfside Beach, about 40 miles south of Galveston. The town closed its beach earlier this week and warned visitors to stay away because of rising flooding.
The National Hurricane Center warned that Alberto is a major hurricane, with tropical-force winds extending about 415 miles north of its center over the Gulf of Mexico while it moves west toward northeastern Mexico. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph Wednesday night, but the main concern was a foot or more of rain that was forecast for parts of Texas and Mexico.
Forecasters had predicted Alberto could make landfall near the Mexican city of Tampico as early as Thursday, but its effects were expected to spread far beyond that. Tropical storm warnings were in effect until Wednesday night along a 700-mile stretch of coast from San Luis Pass near Galveston to Tecolutla in Veracruz, Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Surfside Beach Mayor Greg Bisso said flooding was slowly receding Wednesday evening, but the city was worried the situation could worsen at any time, as it did when Hurricane Nicholas struck the city in 2021, causing major damage.
“It’s a wait-and-see type of deal,” Mr. Bisso said, adding that all the city’s police officers and emergency service personnel are on call.
Here are the key things to know about the storm
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Alberto is expected to reach Mexico's northeastern coast on Thursday morning, but wind and rain are spreading far from the storm's center.
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Heavy rain will continue across much of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Five to 10 inches of rain is expected, with some locations seeing up to 20 inches.
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Up to three inches of rain per hour is expected, potentially causing rivers and streams to swell. Storm surges of up to four feet are expected in coastal areas, including Sargent, Texas, and Galveston Bay.
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Landslides are also a concern in the hills of Mexico.
Preparations were underway in Mexico
Officials and residents were preparing for heavy rain and strong winds on Wednesday.
Government workers were building temporary shelters, and more than 1,500 electricians were deployed in Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Nuevo Leon — the three states likely to be most affected when Alberto's troops arrive — to deal with any power disruptions.
Still, for some states in Mexico, the storm's arrival was a relief amid a water crisis and searing heat.
“We are waiting for this rain, which is going to be very beneficial,” Tamaulipas state civil protection coordinator Luis Gerardo Gonzalez said in a radio interview Wednesday.
Disaster declaration issued in Texas
Ahead of the storm, Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated a range of emergency management resources, including high-water boats and helicopters with lift capabilities. On Wednesday afternoon, he declared a severe weather disaster for 51 counties.
On Wednesday, there were reports of property damage on North Padre Island after storm waves caused coastal bulkheads to collapse. And on South Padre Island, officials were distributing free sandbags to businesses and residents. In Corpus Christi, at least two people were rescued and moved to higher ground after floodwaters submerged their cars, officials said.
Hurricanes and tropical storms can produce tornadoes, which often form in rain bands away from their centers. As Alberto drew closer, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning late Wednesday for an area of Texas that included the cities of McAllen, Mission and Pharr. A tornado warning previously issued for counties near Corpus Christi was extended. Tornado warnings were in effect until 7 a.m. local time for much of Texas south of San Antonio, an area home to about 2.5 million people.
In Houston, which just recovered from last month's unexpectedly deadly hurricanes, officials are worried about the possibility of major flooding this week.
This hurricane season is expected to be a busy one
Forecasters have warned that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season could be much more active than normal.
In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted 17 to 25 named storms this year. This number is “above normal” and is in line with more than a dozen forecasts made at the beginning of the year by experts from universities, private companies and government agencies. The average hurricane season features 14 named storms.
Victoria Kim And Michael Corkery Contributed reporting.