Tropical Storm Alberto weakens after heavy rains, 3 people died

TAMPICO Tampico: Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, weakened on Thursday as it moved further into the interior of northeastern Mexico after bringing heavy rain to parts of the drought-stricken region and killing at least three people.The storm was rapidly weakening and the US National Hurricane Center downgraded it to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph). Coastal hurricane watches and warnings were lifted in Mexico after Alberto moved west at 18 mph (30 kph).But forecasters said heavy rains of up to several inches were still expected in Mexico’s Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila states. Rainfall is forecast to taper off in south Texas on Thursday.Soon after coming ashore in Tampico, there was initial disappointment over the low amount of rain. Showers remained sporadic through the early morning and the sun came out at times.

“We hoped it would come because there’s a great need for water here, but as far as I can tell it went somewhere else,” said Tampico resident Marta Alicia Hernandez. The rain that Tampico was expecting is still coming from some outer bands of the larger system. Heavy rains have been reported inland in the neighbouring state of Nuevo Leon. There, civil protection officials reported three deaths linked to Alberto’s rains. They said one person was killed 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 cycling in the rain. Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Garcia wrote on his account on the social media platform X that metro and public transport services would be suspended in Monterrey from Wednesday night until Thursday afternoon when Alberto passes. Alberto prompted a tropical storm warning covering much of the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Veracruz. The storm made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph).

Schools have been closed in the state of Tamaulipas, where Alberto came ashore, and will remain closed until Friday. Shelters were prepared throughout the state to house residents trying to escape high water levels. Rainfall of 5 inches (13 centimeters) to 10 inches (25 centimeters) is expected in parts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas, with isolated locations expected to receive even more, according to the hurricane center. Some higher elevations in Mexico could receive up to 20 inches (50 centimeters), potentially resulting in landslides and flash flooding, especially in the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon.

Mexican officials had underestimated the risk posed by Alberto and instead pinned their hopes on its ability to ease the parched region’s water needs. “The (wind) speed is not enough to be considered a risk,” said Raúl Quiroga Álvarez, hydrological resources secretary for the state of Tamaulipas, during a news conference late Wednesday. Instead, he suggested people welcome Alberto joyfully. “This is what we’ve been waiting for in Tamaulipas for eight years.” Much of Mexico is suffering from severe drought, with northern Mexico hardest hit. Quiroga said the state’s reservoirs are low and Mexico owes the United States a huge water debt over shared use of the Rio Grande.