Tropical Storm Alberto – the first storm of the season – leaves three dead

Mexican authorities downplayed the threat posed by Alberto, instead pinning their hopes on the storm’s ability to alleviate the parched region’s need for water.

“The (wind) speeds are not so high that you could assume that,” said Raúl Quiroga Álvarez, minister of hydrological resources for the state of Tamaulipas, during a press conference late Wednesday. Instead, he suggested that people should greet Alberto cheerfully. “That’s what we’ve wanted for eight years in all of Tamaulipas.”

Large parts of Mexico are suffering from severe drought, with northern Mexico hit particularly hard. Quiroga pointed out that the state’s water reserves are low and Mexico owes the United States a huge water debt through sharing the Rio Grande.

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

But in the nearby state of Nuevo Leon, civil protection authorities reported three deaths linked to Alberto’s rains. They said a man died in the La Silla river in the city of Monterrey, the state capital, and two minors died of electrocution in the municipality of Allende. Local media reported the minors were riding bicycles in the rain.

The governor of Nuevo Leon, Samuel García, wrote on his account on the social media platform X that the subway and public transport in Monterrey would be suspended from Wednesday night to Thursday noon, following Alberto’s death.

Late Wednesday, Alberto was located about 140 miles (220 kilometers) east of Tampico, Mexico, and about 320 miles (510 kilometers) south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The storm was moving west at 9 mph (14 km/h).

Alberto also brought rain and flooding to the Texas coast.

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

Flooding and dangerous rip currents occurred in some areas along the Texas coast on Wednesday, and waterspouts were spotted offshore.

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

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

“We need this water that we are getting now, thank God. Let’s hope that we only get water,” said Coronel Moral. “Our lagoon, which provides us with drinking water, has completely dried up.”

In Tamaulipas, authorities closed schools for the rest of the week because of the risk of local flooding.

Some areas along the Texas coast were expected to receive 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain, with even higher amounts possible in some areas, according to the National Hurricane Center. Some higher elevation areas of Mexico could see up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain, which could lead to landslides and flash floods, particularly in the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon.

Alberto brought heavy rain showers on both sides of the border, extending across much of the southern coast of Texas and into the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Alberto was expected to weaken rapidly over land and dissipate on Thursday.