Several dead in storm Alberto in Mexico – DW – 20.06.2024

Storm Alberto hit the coast of northeastern Mexico near the U.S. border late Wednesday, bringing heavy rains and leaving at least three people dead.

According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm was located about 217 kilometers east of the Mexican port city of Tampico and had maximum sustained wind speeds of 80 km/h – below hurricane strength.

“Heavy rains, flooding and gusty winds are expected to continue along the coasts of Texas and northeastern Mexico through the morning,” the NHC said on X. The agency added that the storm could intensify slightly overnight.

Mexico’s water authority Conagua has issued a warning of flooding, high water and landslides in the storm’s path. The NHC has predicted the same and warned of the possibility of tornadoes in Texas.

Authorities welcome rain despite extreme drought

The center of Storm Alberto is likely to make landfall in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which borders the U.S. state of Texas. Heavy rains, strong winds and flooding are expected, but the storm is likely to weaken quickly.

Tamaulipas residents and officials said the rain was welcome as the region is in great need of water due to extreme drought.

“The (wind) speeds are not so high that you could expect it,” Raul Quiroga Alvarez, minister of hydrological resources in the state of Tamaulipas, told reporters on Wednesday, as authorities downplayed the risk posed by Storm Alberto. “This is a win-win situation for Tamaulipas.”

Due to the risk of local flooding, state authorities closed schools for the rest of the week.

Transport stopped in Nuevo Leon

In the northern state of Nuevo Leon, a 15-year-old died in the La Silla river in the city of Monterrey. Two minors also died from electrocution while cycling in the rain in the municipality of Allende, civil protection authorities and local media reported.

The governor of Nuevo Leon, Samuel Garcia, announced that public transport in Monterrey would be suspended from Wednesday night until Thursday noon.

Garcia advised residents to stay home and said authorities were prepared for impacts on electricity, water and sewage systems.

Images posted on social media showed flooding in some coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana.

The hurricane season has begun in the Atlantic and Alberto is the first named storm of the year.

tg/rmt (AP, Reuters)