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National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said
meteorologists are expecting the system to strengthen, possibly
into a tropical storm by early Wednesday. But coastal areas
could experience tropical storm conditions this week, even if
the system doesn’t officially get a name, Brennan said.
“The main hazard with these types of systems is largely the
flooding from the heavy rainfall,” Brennan said. “And we could
see potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding across
the Texas coast eastward into central Mississippi through
Thursday. Prolonged rainfall may extend the flood threat into
the weekend.”
Tornadoes were possible from the upper Texas coast across
southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida
Panhandle, forecasters said.
The storm's maximum sustained winds were around 30 mph (45 kph)
Tuesday, just shy of the 39 mph (63 kph) needed to be named a
tropical storm. The system had a 70% chance of forming into a
tropical cyclone over the next two days, the hurricane center
said.
Houston, where a World Cup match between Portugal and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo is scheduled for Wednesday, has
been under a flood warning since Monday. The stadium is covered,
and no plans have been announced to move or reschedule the
match.
By Thursday, the storms could drop 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20
centimeters) of rain, with isolated totals of a foot (30
centimeters) in coastal areas.
A tropical storm watch was already in effect from Sargent,
Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana. Rough surf could cause rip
currents along the Gulf for the next couple of days.
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