MIAMI, Fla. — Tropical Storm Alberto formed on Wednesday in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, the first named storm of what is forecast to be a busy hurricane season.
Alberto was located 185 miles (about 300 kilometers) east of Tampico, Mexico and 295 miles (about 480 kilometers) south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas. It had top sustained winds of 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The storm has already created more than 4 feet of storm surge in San Luis Pass, Texas, which is located just south of Galveston Island. Numerous homes along the coast have already flooded.
Alberto is forecast to make landfall in Mexico on Wednesday night with winds near 45 mph and gusts up to 55 mph.
Storm surge will be a problem from Galveston down to Corpus Christi.
Rainfall totals for Texas could reach up to 10 inches. The mountains in Mexico could see up to 20 inches in the next 24 hours. Flash flooding will be possible from Corpus Christi to Laredo and Brownsville through Wednesday.
More tropical activity
Another tropical system is developing in the western Atlantic Ocean, near the Bahamas. This system has a low chance to develop into a named storm. However, forecasters continue to monitor it as it moves west northwest toward the southeastern United States.
The area of showers and storms is currently located several hundred miles east of the Bahamas. It’s expected to arrive on the US coast by the end of the week.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the hurricane season that began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30 is likely to be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast calls for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
A no-name storm earlier in June dumped more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain on parts of South Florida, stranding numerous motorists on flooded streets and pushing water into some homes in low-lying areas.
Difference between hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions
Once a depression sustains wind over 39 mph, it is called a tropical storm.
If a storm develops strong rotation, and the wind speeds exceed 74 mph, we have a hurricane. Hurricanes are classified from categories 1 to 5.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
