MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, has formed in the western Gulf of Mexico, bringing coastal flooding to the southern U.S. coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Wednesday.
Miami forecasters said the storm, located about 185 miles (300 kilometers) east of Tampico, Mexico, had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). Alberto could dissipate over Mexico as early as Thursday night.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was so large that rainfall, coastal flooding and strong winds were possible far from the center along the coasts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas.
The NHC warned that heavy rain would also affect large areas of Central America, which is still facing heavy rainfall and about 11 people were killed in El Salvador over the weekend due to landslides and road accidents.
“Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are possible in higher-lying areas of the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, including the eastern cities of Ciudad Victoria and Nuevo Leon,” the National Hurricane Center said. Monterey is the third largest city in the state.
Nuevo León Governor Samuel Garcia said on Sunday that people should avoid leaving their homes or crossing waterways when it rains and carry emergency kits with them. He said workers were prepared for the possible impact of strong winds and rainfall on the power grid, water and sewage supplies.
In the Gulf Coast state of Tamaulipas, videos shared on social media showed ominous gray skies, while in the United States, videos as far away as Louisiana showed flooded coastal towns and seawater crashing against seawalls.
Across the bay in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, local news reported strong winds and heavy rains. However, some authorities said the storm could help fill the country’s dams, which have been depleted by a long drought.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicts “moderate coastal flooding” along much of the Texas coast on Thursday as the southern region experiences tropical storms.
Forecasters warn that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season could be very active due to the effects of La Niña weather patterns and warming ocean waters.
