HOUSTON, TX – The first tropical storm of the hurricane season threatens the Gulf Coast with severe flooding and high winds as Tropical Storm Alberto forms over the western Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center announced Wednesday. The storm is expected to bring heavy rains, coastal flooding, and gusty winds along the coasts of Texas and northeastern Mexico through Thursday, prompting tropical storm warnings along the Texas coast.

In anticipation of widespread flooding, the state government in Texas enacted a large-scale emergency response, with areas such as Corpus Christi bracing for as much as 10 to 15 inches of rain. The National Weather Center office in Houston reported coastal flooding as rain moves inland, with impacts likely to extend far from the storm’s center.

According to the National Hurricane Center, life-threatening mudslides are expected in higher areas of northern Mexico, including around the cities of Monterrey and Ciudad Victoria. Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the state Division of Emergency Management to activate the Texas State Emergency Operations Center to level 2 readiness, ensuring 24-hour operations as the state prepares for severe tropical weather.

The Texas A&M Forest Service has mobilized teams of personnel and vehicles, while the Texas National Guard has also deployed resources to support communities potentially impacted by the storm. The weather service advised residents in affected areas to have supplies of food, water, and other essentials for five to seven days.

The storm warning comes amid a severe heatwave affecting 71 million people under some form of heat advisory or warning, set to last through Friday. As Tropical Storm Alberto advances toward the Gulf Coast, authorities and residents alike are bracing for the potential devastation and impact of the approaching weather system.