The first named storm of the hurricane season made landfall in Mexico on Thursday, bringing heavy rain and flooding to the country’s Gulf Coast and Texas.
Tropical Storm Alberto is moving inland over Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said in an update at 7 a.m. local time.
Heavy rains and gusty winds began to diminish off the Texas coast, but moderate coastal flooding was likely throughout the morning, the National Hurricane Center said in a public advisory. Life-threatening floods and mudslides were likely in some areas of northeastern Mexico, the report said.
A tropical storm warning in effect for the Texas coast from San Luis Pass south to the mouth of the Rio Grande was lifted early Thursday. A warning remained in effect for Mexico’s northeastern coast, south of the mouth of the Rio Grande to Tecolutla, the report said.
Already on Wednesday, parts of Texas experienced at least moderate flooding, with streets turned into waterways.
Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 51 Texas counties on Wednesday as the storm progressed, “to ensure Texans and at-risk regions have the resources and personnel necessary to respond to this storm,” he said in a statement .
The Texas A&M Forest Service mobilized at least four teams consisting of 100 men and 24 vehicles, while the Texas National Guard had three platoons totaling more than 40 men, along with 20 vehicles, including Chinook helicopters.
The National Weather Service advised residents in areas expected to be affected by the storm to have at least five to seven days’ worth of food, water and other essentials on hand.
In Surfside Beach in Brazoria County, cars could be seen driving on flooded roads.
The storm comes amid a heat wave expected to last at least until Friday, with more than 82 million people under some form of heat advisory on Wednesday.
Alberto’s center was forecast to move westward into Mexico before weakening and most likely dissipating Thursday evening, the National Hurricane Center said. Some parts of Mexico, including Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, were expected to receive up to 50 centimeters of rain, the report said.
But the system already appeared possibly linked to deaths in Mexico, with civil protection authorities in the northern state of Nuevo León saying one man died in the La Silla river in the state capital Monterrey. They said two minors also died from electric shock in the municipality of Allende.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast that the hurricane season that began June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30 will likely be well above average, with as many as 17 to 25 named storms.
The forecast also calls for as many as thirteen hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
This is a development story. Check back later for updates.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
