Tropical Storm Harold Approaching South Texas Coast
Tropical Storm Harold is currently bringing heavy rain to the South Texas coast as it prepares to make landfall, marking the first US landfall of the Atlantic hurricane season on Tuesday. The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, is located about 155 miles east-southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas. More than 1 million people are under tropical storm warnings as the rain becomes more intense and tropical-storm-force winds arrive.
Potential Impact and Precautions
The latest track predicts that Tropical Storm Harold will make landfall south of Corpus Christi by midday Tuesday. Tropical storm warnings have been issued from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Port O’ Connor, Texas, with tropical storm watches in effect from Port O’Connor to Sargent, Texas. The storm has the potential to dump 3 to 5 inches of rain across South Texas, with locally higher amounts reaching 7 inches. Mexico is also expected to receive 4 to 6 inches of rain. As the storm moves inland, winds may slightly ease up but locally-damaging gusts of 30-40 mph are still possible.
Possible Flooding and Other Risks
A storm surge of 1 to 3 feet may briefly flood low-lying coastal areas along the mouth of the Rio Grande River to Sargent, Baffin Bay, Corpus Christi, and Matagorda Bay. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are expected along the southern Texas coast, and there is a possibility of tornadoes developing. The storm threat is exacerbating the already hot and dry summer that Texas has been experiencing, with some of the worst drought conditions in Central Texas possibly missing out on much-needed rainfall.