Mexico City, US
Reuters
The outer edges of Tropical Storm Alberto began to unleash heavy rains over parts of north-eastern Mexico near the US border late on Wednesday as the large tropical system closed in on the Gulf coast, killing at least three people.
According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm was located about 217 kilometres east of the Mexican port of Tampico, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 kph, as military and emergency services personnel braced for its full impact.
People cross a street as rain caused by tropical storm Alberto, the first named storm of 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, falls, in Monterrey, Mexico, on 19th June, 2024. PICTURE: Reuters/Daniel Becerril.
Alberto is the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, though its sustained wind speeds remain below hurricane strength.
The deaths of at least three people, all minors, have been attributed to Alberto, Nuevo Leon state Governor Samuel Garcia told local media. He did not give any details.
One of the victims has been identified as a 15-year-old boy who was swept away by the current of a river and drowned outside the city of Monterrey, Mexico’s third biggest, in Nuevo Leon state, according to a report from the city’s emergency services.
The NHC noted some “slight strengthening” is possible over Wednesday night.
The center of Alberto is expected to make landfall along the coast of Mexico’s Tamaulipas state, just south of the US state of Texas, early Thursday morning. While it will likely weaken quickly, it is also seen bringing torrential rainfall, coastal flooding and strong winds.
The NHC warned of considerable flash flooding in the storm’s path, including in urban areas, along with swollen rivers and potential mudslides.
Mexico’s national water commission Conagua also issued a warning for overflowing rivers, landslides and flooding.
Governor Garcia encouraged his state’s residents to avoid leaving their homes amid heavy rainfall and said preparations were in place to quickly address possible impacts to local power supplies, water and sewage systems.
Along the U.S. Gulf coast, including parts of Texas and Louisiana, videos posted on social media showed some flooding in coastal towns and waves smashing into sea walls.
The NHC also cited the possibility of further coastal flooding along with the formation of tornadoes in Texas linked to Alberto.
– With reporting by BRIJESH PATEL in Bengaluru, India.
