Tropical Storm Alberto Turns Deadly As It Makes Landfall Along Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall near Tampico, Mexico, around 7 a.m. on Thursday (June 20). Alberto, which is the first named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, is expected to lose power and dissipate as it pushes inland across northeastern Mexico.

Before making landfall, the storm lashed the Gulf Coast with heavy rain, causing widespread flooding from Brownsville, Texas, to Grand Isle, Louisiana, as waves topped 16 feet in some areas.

However, by Thursday morning, all tropical storm watches and warnings were discontinued along the U.S. Gulf Coast as Alberto moved toward Mexico, where tropical storm warnings are in effect for the country's northeastern coast.

After making landfall with winds of around 45 mph, Alberto was downgraded to a tropical depression.

"The depression will continue to move quickly westward, steered by a deep-layer ridge to the north. The system is moving farther inland over northern Mexico and is forecast to continue to weaken over the higher terrain. A 12-hour forecast point is shown for continuity, with global model fields depicting the system dissipating later today," the National Hurricane Center said .

"Alberto remains a large system and continues to produce moderate coastal flooding across portions of southern Texas, given the onshore wind flow. Heavy rainfall associated with Alberto will continue to impact northeastern Mexico throughout the day today, with considerable flash and urban flooding likely."

The storm has caused three deaths in Mexico's Nuevo León state.

Governor Samuel García said that two children were killed by an electrical shock while riding their bikes through the rain and urged people to stay inside.

"There's a reason classes were suspended," García said, according to CNN . "This is not ordinary rain."

A man was also killed in the La Silla River in the city of Monterrey.