(Reuters) -Tropical Storm Harold on Tuesday thrashed the southern tip of Texas with damaging winds and heavy downpours as forecasters warned of possible flash flooding, minor damage and power outages throughout the day.
Some 1.3 million people in the Deep South Texas and Rio Grande Valley area were under a tropical storm warning as Harold, packing 50 mile (80 km) per hour winds, made landfall at about 10 a.m. local time on Padre Island, Texas, the National Weather Service said.
As the storm made landfall, heavy downpours were dousing the area and were expected to continue to fall at a rate up to 2 inches (5 cm) an hour throughout the day, the service said.
The storm could produce coastal flooding and flooding along rivers, roadways and in poor drainage areas. Strong winds had the potential of causing minor damage to homes and infrastructure, it said.
It also warned of possible scattered power and communications outages. Some 7,500 homes and businesses in southern Texas were without power as the storm arrived in the area, according to Poweroutage.us.
In anticipation of the storm, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of state emergency response resources and an increase in the readiness level of the state’s emergency operations center.
“I encourage Texans to remain weather-aware and heed the guidance of state and local officials and emergency management personnel as they work together to keep communities safe,” he said in a statement on Monday night.
Portions of northern Coahuila and Nuevo Leon in Mexico could also see flash flooding and landslides, the weather service said.
(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
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