Tropical Storm Harold moving northwest in the Gulf of Mexico, August 22, 2023. via NOAA
Tropical Storm Harold on Tuesday lashed the southern tip of Texas with damaging winds and heavy downpours, leaving thousands without power as forecasters warned of possible flash flooding and minor damage throughout the day.
Some 1.3 million people in the Deep South Texas and Rio Grande Valley area were under a tropical storm warning as Harold packed 50 mile (80 km) per hour winds and torrential downpours that could amount to 6 inches (15 cm) of rain in some local spots, the National Weather Service said.
The storm could produce coastal flooding and flooding along rivers, roadways and in poor drainage areas. Strong winds had the potential of causing minor damage to homes and infrastructure, it said.
Video footage and photographs on social media showed gray skies over white-capped shorelines, palm trees whipping in the wind and drenching rains falling across the region.
Some 24,000 homes and businesses in southeastern Texas were without power as of midday, according to Poweroutage.us.
“Remain weather-aware and heed guidance from local officials,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a post on X.
The state’s department of emergency management has deployed several swift water rescue boats and high-profile vehicles across the area, the governor said, urging residents not to drive through flooded roadways.
The fast moving tropical storm made landfall at about 10 a.m. local time on Padre Island, Texas, as it raced across the region, the National Weather Service said.
Portions of northern Coahuila and Nuevo Leon in Mexico could also see flash flooding and landslides from the tropical storm, the weather service said.