Tropical Storm Alberto dumps rain on Texas and Mexico

TAMPICO, Mexico (AP) — Tropical storm Alberto was rumbling toward northeastern Mexico early Thursday when the first named storm of the seasonwith heavy rains that killed three people, but also brought hope to a region suffering from prolonged, severe drought.

Mexican authorities downplayed Alberto’s risk and instead pinned their hopes on his ability to alleviate the parched region’s water needs.

“The (wind) speeds are not such that we consider it a risk,” Raúl Quiroga Álvarez, Tamaulipas Undersecretary of Hydrological Resources, said during a press conference late Wednesday. Instead, he suggested that people greet Alberto happily. “This is what we have been standing for across Tamaulipas for eight years.”

Much of Mexico has been too suffer from severe drought, with Northern Mexico particularly hard hit. Quiroga noted that the state reservoirs were low and Mexico owed the United States a huge water debt because of their shared use of the Rio Grande.

“This is a win-win event for Tamaulipas,” he said.

But in nearby Nuevo Leon state, civil protection authorities reported three deaths from Alberto’s rain. They said one man died in the La Silla River in the city of Monterrey, the state capital, and two minors died of electric shock in the municipality of Allende. Local media reported that the minors were cycling in the rain.

Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel García wrote on his account on social media platform

Late Wednesday, Alberto was about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Tampico, Mexico, and about 250 miles (402 kilometers) south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 53 miles (85 km) per hour, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The storm moved west at a speed of 13 miles per hour.

Alberto also brought rain and flooding to the Texas coast.

The National Weather Service said the biggest danger to the southern Texas coast is flooding from excessive rain. On Wednesday, the NWS said there is a “high probability” of flash flooding in the southern Texas coast. Tornadoes or waterspouts are possible.

Areas along the Texas coast witnessed some road flooding and dangerous rip currents on Wednesday, and waterspouts were spotted off the coast.

In Mexico, residents expressed hope that Alberto would bring rain.

Tampico resident Blanca Coronel Moral ventured to the city’s waterfront on Wednesday to await Alberto’s arrival.

“We needed the water we’re getting now, thank God. Let’s hope we only get water,” said Coronel Moral. “Our lagoon, which supplies our drinking water, is completely dry.”

Authorities in Tamaulipas closed schools for the rest of the week due to the risk of localized flooding.

As much as 5 to 10 inches of rain was expected in some areas along the Texas coast, with even higher isolated totals possible, according to the National Hurricane Center. Some higher locations in Mexico could see as much as 50 centimeters of rain, which could result in mudslides and flash flooding, especially in the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon.

Alberto brought rainstorms on both sides of the border, stretching across much of the South Texas coast and south into the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Alberto was expected to weaken quickly over land and disappear on Thursday.

Martínez Barba reported from Mexico City.