Tropical Storm Harold makes 1st US landfall of Atlantic hurricane season in Texas

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - Tropical Storm Harold became the first storm to make US landfall in the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season Tuesday in the state of Texas.

Harold barreled toward south Texas in the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour) and came ashore on Padre Island, 240 miles (386 kilometers) southwest of Houston.

"Heavy rainfall is expected across south Texas through early Wednesday and may produce areas of flash and urban flooding," the National Weather Service (NWS) in Corpus Christi posted on X.

Forecasters expect Harold to dump between 3 and 7 inches of rain in the region. In addition, strong winds are expected to slam portions of south Texas and Mexico with more than 1 million people under tropical storm warnings.

"Coastal flooding is possible along the south Texas coast," said the NWS. "Tropical storm conditions are expected to continue in the warning area."

Harold is one of four storms to form in the Atlantic in a 24-hour period.

Tropical storm Franklin is churning in the Caribbean with sustained winds of 50 miles per hour and is expected to ravage Puerto Rico and Hispaniola sometime Wednesday with heavy winds and flooding. Haiti and the Dominican Republic are also expecting potentially strong winds and rainfall.

The NWS said tropical storms Emily and Gert posed no imminent danger and would dissipate in the upcoming days.