Tropical Storm Erin threatens Texas

[Fig]

(CNN) -- The Texas National Guard on Wednesday deployed water rescue teams along the coast to prepare for Tropical Storm Erin's landfall.
art.erin.noaa.jpg

NOAA satellite imagery shows Tropical Storm Erin intensifying Wednesday morning in the Gulf of Mexico.

Landfall was expected Thursday morning north of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Erin, with 40 mph winds, is not expected to achieve hurricane strength before reaching the shore, but up to 8 inches of rain and a storm surge of up to 3 feet are forecast for coastal areas of Texas.

As of 4 p.m. in Texas (5 p.m. ET), the center of Erin was about 195 miles east of Brownsville and 210 miles south of Galveston. A tropical storm warning was in effect for most of the state's coast, from Brownsville to San Luis Pass, near Galveston. See where the storm appears to be headed »

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions, including winds of at least 39 mph, are expected within 24 hours.

Authorities in Mexico dropped an earlier tropical storm watch for its northeast coast.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry urged state residents to take "all possible precautions to stay out of dangerous situations."

"Because storms have saturated much of our state this summer, many communities in this storm's projected path are at high risk of dangerous flash flooding," Perry said in a written statement.

Three helicopters are being readied in San Antonio, the statement said, each with a two-person water rescue team, and six other swift-water rescue teams will be on standby.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/15/storms/index.html (Also had a bit about Dean, but Dean will get its thread when warning or watches are issued, or when it becomes the season's first hurricane ; until then it's Atlantic Watch Center material).

Erin is the fifth storm, and the second landfalling storm of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season (the fourth storm, Dean, is almost guaranteed to make landfall, likely several times over, but has not done so yet, making Erin the second landfall of the season.

 

[The Big Al]

Unlike Barry, Erin looks like it will make landfall over an area that has had quite enough rain. This means rain will likely be the biggest problem (along with the threat of tornadoes) from this storm. While it might get stronger Erin won't be close to Hurricane strength.

 

[Fig]

Yeah.

Prediction seems to have Erin being a good little TS and not pulling an Allison on us, which is indeed all we can hope for at this stage.

 

[Vereux0]

Hopefully, it doesn't go near me.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

I'm bumping this back up because Erin came through Oklahoma last night and regenerated. Kicked back into gear and became a tropical storm again (including a very clearly visible eyewall). Even put down a couple of tornadoes, did some impressive wind damage, and several towns are currently underwater.

Just...a bit surprising. Makes me wonder what Dean could do if it hits us.

 

[The Big Al]

That's just freaky. Yet another tropical storm defies logic.