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Tropical Alberto forms while bringing flooding rains and an ocean surge to Texas

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Tropical Alberto forms while bringing flooding rains and an ocean surge to Texas


The first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, named Alberto, formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico late Wednesday morning. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center declared the storm formed about 295 miles south-southeast of Brownsville, Tex. as torrential downpours were moving ashore in South Texas and northeast Mexico.

The storm is forecast to make landfall in northeast Mexico Thursday morning while spreading impacts as far north as coastal Louisiana.

It’s the United States’ first taste of tropical trouble, but experts are calling for a long, busy season with many more threats on the way.

While approaching the coast of northeast Mexico, the potential tropical storm was also pushing a surge of ocean water ashore, leading to coastal flooding along the southern Texas coast early Wednesday. Social media video showed water inundating coastal communities, flowing over roads and underneath elevated homes while overwhelming storms drains.

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Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said the peak storm surge could reach up to 2 to 4 feet, including around Galveston Bay.

Flood watches blanket South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, and stretch along the coastline to Cameron Parish, La. The alerts no longer include Houston, since the heaviest rains should stay primarily south of the metro.

A tropical storm warning does, however, cover coastal counties from just south of Galveston to the U.S.-Mexico border, and incudes Rockport, Corpus Christi and Brownsville. While the system may not organize enough to earn the name Alberto, tropical storm-force winds with 50-mph gusts are still probable along the shoreline.

Rockport was gusting to 36 mph around 7 a.m. Central time, and Padre Island to 39 mph. Rainfall totals have been light thus far, with Brownsville leading the pack at 0.95 inches. That said, the core of the deep tropical moisture, and subsequent downpours, will soon arrive.

As of 10 a.m. Central time, Alberto had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving west at 8 mph. The Hurricane Center said Alberto is a large tropical storm with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 415 miles north of the center.

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Scattered downpours were pivoting ashore in South Texas, and will become more numerous and intense as the day wears on. The heaviest rains will last from noon to midnight in southern regions, and probably won’t make it much north of San Antonio or Victoria.

A widespread 4 to 8 inches is likely in South Texas, with localized totals over 10 inches possible. Downpours will taper to intermittent showers by early Thursday.

A near record-moist air mass will be in place, allowing for intense rainfall rates. A weather balloon launched Wednesday morning from Brownsville recorded 2.78 inches of moisture present from the bottom to the top of the atmosphere. That’s just shy of the 2.93-inch record set on July 17, 1996.

Some of the storm’s most serious flooding is probable in northeast Mexico and Central America.

“Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are likely in and near areas of higher terrain across the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas, including the cities of Monterrey and Ciudad Victoria,” the Hurricane Center wrote.

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However, some of the rainfall in Mexico will be quite beneficial, as the area has been enduring serious drought.

Rains from a large, swirling area of showers and thunderstorms across the southwest Gulf of Mexico and Central America, known as the Central American Gyre, have produced disastrous flooding in parts Guatemala and El Salvador, causing at least 14 fatalities, according to the Associated Press. This same gyre spawned the potential tropical storm heading into Mexico and could give rise another in the Gulf of Mexico next week.

It’s still looking like 40- to 50-mph gusts will be possible along the immediate coastline from Houston-Galveston southward, with lesser but still blustery winds expected inland.

The onshore flow will push water against the coast, leading to a surge of up to 2 to 4 feet in the most prone areas and 1 to 3 feet elsewhere. Because of the system’s sprawling circulation, the surge was forecast to affect areas hundreds of miles from its center, as far away as the western shore of Louisiana.

With landfalling tropical cyclones and disturbances, sporadic tornadoes sometimes occur ahead, and to the right, of the center. Since South Texas will be in the “front right quadrant” of the system, a subtle change of low-level winds with height, known as wind shear, could support an isolated tornado risk.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has advertised a Level 1 out of 5 Marginal risk for severe weather.

Jason Samenow contributed to this report.





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Texas

2024 Texas Election Guide: How to register to vote and make your voice heard

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2024 Texas Election Guide: How to register to vote and make your voice heard


At ABC13 Houston, we believe our democracy works best when everyone participates.

This year, Texas voters will cast ballots for our next president and vice president, U.S. Senator, congressional and state representatives, and decide on multiple judicial races.

Your last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 7, 2024.
Check your Texas voter registration | Register to vote (print, sign and mail)
Find your polling place

Texas does not offer online voter registration, but you can visit VoteTexas.gov to fill out, print, sign and mail your application. To be eligible to vote in the November general election, your registration form must be received or postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline.

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You can also register to vote in person at your local Voter Registrar’s office.

Even if you’ve voted before, you should still double-check your registration.

More than a million Texans have been removed from voter rolls since 2021, and the League of Women Voters told ABC13 that some voters have been removed if they didn’t register in the last two federal elections.

Early voting will begin Monday, Oct. 21 and run through Friday, Nov. 1.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

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Voting by mail in Texas is limited to voters who are:

  • Ages 65 and older
  • Sick or disabled
  • Expected to give birth within three weeks of Election Day
  • Out of the county on Election Day and during the early voting period
  • Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible
  • Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code

The last day to register to vote by mail in Texas is Friday, Oct. 25.

Click here to download an application to vote by mail.

What you can (and can’t) bring to the polls

All voters must present one of the following forms of photo ID:

  • Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
  • Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
  • Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
  • Texas handgun license issued by DPS
  • United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph
  • United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
  • United States passport (book or card)

You can still vote if you do not possess or cannot reasonably obtain one of these photo IDs. You will need to fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and show a copy or original of one of the following approved IDs:

  • Certified Domestic Birth Certificate or Court Admissible Birth Document
  • Current utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Government check
  • Paycheck
  • Government document with your name and an address, including your voter registration certificate

If you need assistance, voters may request help by any person other than the voter’s employer, an agent of their employer, or an officer or agent of a labor union to which the voter belongs.

You are not permitted to use a wireless communications device or any device which records audio, images or video within 100 feet of a voting station. This includes smartphones, digital cameras or sound recorders. Election judges are authorized to require anyone to turn off or deactivate any device.

While you may be excited to vote for a particular candidate, you should not wear any campaign t-shirts, buttons, hats or other accessories to the polls. This is considered electioneering, which is not permitted within 100 feet of the voting stations.

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What’s on my ballot?

For a glance at what you’ll see at the top of your ballot, click here (PDF).

For down ballot races, see your county election authority’s website for details:

Harris Co.
Fort Bend Co.
Montgomery Co.
Galveston Co.
Chambers Co.
Liberty Co.
Waller Co.
Austin Co.
Brazoria Co.
Calhoun Co.
Colorado Co.
Grimes Co.
Jackson Co.
Matagorda Co.
Polk Co.
San Jacinto Co.
Trinity Co.
Walker Co.
Washington Co.
Wharton Co.

Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Texas Supreme Court allows State Fair of Texas gun ban to take effect

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Texas Supreme Court allows State Fair of Texas gun ban to take effect


Texas Supreme Court allows State Fair of Texas gun ban to take effect – CBS Texas

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Most visitors will not be allowed to take guns into the State Fair of Texas after the state Supreme Court turned away a last-minute request from the Office of the Attorney General. Lacey Beasley reports on what security measures fairgoers can expect.

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Texas A&M Commit Cancels Visit With Texas Longhorns

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Texas A&M Commit Cancels Visit With Texas Longhorns


After coming up short to the Texas Longhorns in the race for a pair of highly-touted players on the 2025 recruiting trail, the Texas A&M Aggies have secured a win over their heated rivals.

Per Ryan Brauninger of TexAgs, Texas A&M three-star defensive line commit Chace Sims has cancelled his official visit to Texas this weekend. The Randle High School (Richmond, TX) product was set to visit the Forty Acres for the Longhorns’ SEC opener against Mississippi State on Saturday, but has instead decided to cross Texas off his list barring a change of heart at some point down the line.

This development comes after the Aggies fell short to Texas in the recruiting races for a pair of five-star players in receiver Kaliq Lockett and safety/linebacker Jonah Williams.

Sims originally committed to Texas A&M on July 2 after taking his official visit to College Station on June 21. He also took OVs to Texas Tech (June 21), Kansas (June 14), Washington (May 31) and SMU (May 17).

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Texas A&M recruiting analyst Jaxson Callaway reported Thursday that Sims’ decision to cancel his Texas official visit “had been trending this way.”

“Pretty big development for the Aggies recruiting class, as Chace Sims has cancelled his previously scheduled official visit to Texas,” Callaway tweeted. “Had been trending this way after his trip to College Station this past weekend, but now decided upon.

The Aggies offered Sims in February. He received offers from other programs like LSU, TCU, Kansas State, Arizona, Baylor, Pittsburgh, California and more.

According to 247Sports’ rankings, Sims is the No. 69 defensive tackle and No. 91 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.

Sims is currently a part of a 2025 that’s highlighted by five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet and four-stars like cornerback Adonyss Currie, defensive linemen Kiotti Armstrong and DJ Sanders, athlete Noah Mikhail, edge Marco Jones and many more.

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During the 2023 season, Sims posted 11 sacks. He’s tallied 120 tackles (26 for loss), 12 sacks and two forced fumbles over the past two seasons combined.



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