# Tropical Storm Alberto Brings Heavy Rains and Flooding to Texas and Mexico

 # Tropical Storm Alberto Brings Heavy Rains and Flooding to Texas and Mexico

**TAMPICO, Mexico (AP)** — Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of what is expected to be a busy hurricane season, formed on Wednesday in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, its impact has already been deadly, with authorities in Mexico reporting three fatalities due to the storm's rains.

Alberto is currently bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall, and some flooding to the coasts of Texas and Mexico. The storm is projected to make landfall in northern Mexico early Thursday.

"The heavy rainfall and the water, as usual, is the biggest story in tropical storms," said Michael Brennan, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center.

Civil protection authorities in Nuevo Leon reported one man died in the La Silla River in Monterrey, the state capital. Additionally, two minors died from electric shocks while riding a bicycle in the rain in the municipality of Allende.

Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel García announced on social media platform X that metro and public transportation services in Monterrey would be suspended from Wednesday night until midday Thursday, after Alberto had passed.

As of late Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center reported that Alberto was about 135 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 kph). The storm was moving west at 9 mph.

The storm's center is expected to reach the northeastern coast of Mexico south of the Rio Grande by Thursday morning. Rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches are expected in some areas along the Texas coast, with isolated totals possibly higher. In Mexico, some higher elevations could receive as much as 20 inches of rain, potentially causing mudslides and flash flooding, particularly in Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon.

The municipal government of Tampico announced the activation of a command center in coordination with water, electricity, and oil companies. Many residents were relieved by the heavy showers, as Tamaulipas and most of Mexico have been experiencing extreme droughts.

"We have been needing this water that we’re now getting, thank God. Let’s hope that we only get water," said Blanca Coronel Moral, a resident of Tampico. "Our lagoon, which gives us drinking water, is completely dry."

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal stated on X that schools across the state will remain closed from Wednesday to Friday. Civil protection coordinator Luis Gerardo Gonzalez mentioned that 333 shelters have been set up throughout the state, with more to open as the storm progresses.

Residents are urged to stay informed through state and municipal civil protection alerts. The storm is expected to arrive overnight, with coastal communities most affected.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect from San Luis Pass, Texas, southward to the mouth of the Rio Grande, and along the northeastern coast of Mexico to Tecolutla. The National Hurricane Center predicts rapid weakening once Alberto moves inland, likely dissipating over Mexico on Thursday.

The U.S. National Weather Service highlights flooding from excess rain as the main hazard for southern coastal Texas, with a high probability of flash flooding. Tornadoes or waterspouts are also possible.

NOAA forecasts an above-average hurricane season, with 17 to 25 named storms, up to 13 hurricanes, and four major hurricanes, compared to an average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

Brennan warns of dangerous rip currents and advises drivers to be cautious of road closures and water-covered roadways. Coastal areas in Texas are already experiencing road flooding and rip currents, with waterspouts spotted offshore.

Tim Cady, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Houston, emphasized the risk of coastal flooding as high tide approaches Thursday morning.

**Contributors:** AP journalists Jamie Stengle in Dallas and Julie Walker in New York.