Tropical Storm Alberto Hits Northeastern Mexico, Causing Fatalities

The outer edges of Tropical Storm Alberto started to bring heavy rains to parts of northeastern Mexico near the U.S. border late Wednesday as the large tropical system approached the Gulf coast, resulting in the deaths of at least three people, all of whom were minors.

The storm was located about 135 miles (217 km) east of the Mexican port of Tampico, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). Military and emergency services personnel braced for its full impact as Alberto, the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, approached. Despite its strong winds, the storm remains below hurricane strength.

Nuevo Leon state Governor Samuel Garcia reported that the deaths of the three minors have been attributed to Alberto, though he did not provide details. One of the victims, a 15-year-old boy, was swept away by a river current and drowned near Monterrey, Mexico’s third-largest city, according to local emergency services.

The center of Alberto is expected to make landfall along the coast of Mexico’s Tamaulipas state, just south of Texas, early Thursday morning. Although it will likely weaken quickly, the storm is anticipated to bring torrential rainfall, coastal flooding, and strong winds.

The NHC has warned of significant flash flooding in the storm’s path, including in urban areas, along with swollen rivers and potential mudslides. Mexico’s national water commission, Conagua, also issued warnings for overflowing rivers, landslides, and flooding.

Governor Garcia urged residents to stay indoors amid heavy rainfall and assured that preparations were in place to address potential impacts on local power supplies, water, and sewage systems. Meanwhile, along the U.S. Gulf coast, including parts of Texas and Louisiana, social media videos showed some flooding in coastal towns and waves crashing into sea walls.

Melissa Enoch

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