Severe Storm Brings Heavy Rain to Texas as Officials Warn of Flash Fooding, Tornadoes
© AP Photo / Eric Gay
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As California and Nevada deal with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary, Texas will be experiencing a similar cyclone this week, with officials warning residents flash flooding and potential tornadoes.
Residents in Texas have been urged to seek shelter and follow statewide alerts as a severe storm brought with it heavy rains and strong winds across the US' southern coastline.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated the storm made landfall at around 10 a.m. local time on Texas’ Padre Island in the Gulf of Mexico with 50 miles per hour (MPH) winds and detailed the core of the storm would impact the inland areas of south Texas.
Although the watchdog's latest advisory indicates Tropical Storm Harold has since weakened into a tropical depression, forecasters warn heavy rains remain a threat to the Lone Star State.
The storm is expected to continue moving inland in a west-northwest direction at about 21 mph, before eventually fading out by Wednesday. The system's winds were initially predicted to sustain near 45 MPH, with the latest advisory underscoring "gusty winds" were due.
Tropical Storm #Harold made landfall this morning and brought with it intense coastal flooding and strong winds to the Corpus Christi area #txwx @accuweather pic.twitter.com/3WoEy5T8VM
— Sierra Lindsey (@Sierra_Lindsey3) August 22, 2023
Be careful out there folks! If you encounter any flooded roads or low water crossings like this one in northern Jim Wells County, Turn Around Don’t Drown! #stxwx #harold pic.twitter.com/706GZLJXbd
— NWS Corpus Christi (@NWSCorpus) August 22, 2023
Earlier releases indicated that Falfurrias, Texas, which is located in southern Texas, had already reported sustained wind speeds of 35 mph, with a gust of 60 mph.
More than one million Texans have been placed under tropical storm warnings.
Flash flooding is expected in parts of south Texas, as well, as rainfall bears down on the region bringing 2 to 4 inches of rain, with some areas seeing 6 inches of rain. Places from Sargent to Baffin Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, and Matagorda Bay may experience 1 to 3 feet of flooding above ground. Flash flood warnings have been implemented by officials.
The heaviest of the rain from Tropical Storm #Harold is now moving inland and away from Corpus Christi. The storm is forecast to weaken as it tracks along the Texas-Mexico border over the next day or so. pic.twitter.com/1Meovy1WKc
— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) August 22, 2023
An earlier NOAA advisory stated a “couple” tornadoes were possible for portions of south Texas, as residents in counties located in south-central Texas were warned to stay indoors and be cautious of flying debris.
Beginning on Tuesday, Harold will bring with it about 2 to 4 inches of rain across parts of Mexico’s states in the north and the northeast, while 10 inches of rain will fall on parts of northern Coahuila and northern Nuevo Leon. That rain will continue into Wednesday, the agency said. Flash flooding will be scattered throughout these regions.
While the Lone Star State braces for rain and flash flooding, the US states of California and Nevada are currently dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary, which brought with it mudflows toppling trees, downed power lines, and trapped cars.
