Tropical storm Harold, which has formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, has already made landfall on Padre Island, in Texas, United States, with winds of 85 kilometers per hour and waiting for rain to occur torrential at various points, as reported by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Although it is expected to cause heavy rains and winds, Harold’s weakening will increase as it moves deeper into the Texas state and northern Mexico. In fact, it will become a tropical depression.

Despite this, the federal emergency management agency (FEMA) has urged the population not to drive or use their cars in the rain, unless absolutely necessary.

So far, Harold’s winds have already knocked out power to about 1,500 users in several counties on the south coast of Texas.

In addition, several schools in the area have not opened on Tuesday due to the storm.

Harold is currently located about 55 km north of Port Mansfield and 80 km from Corpus Christi, both locations in the southern United States.

Its movement is to the west-northwest and it is expected to continue to maintain that direction throughout the day.

Abundant rainfall

Harold is expected to produce 2 to 4 inches of precipitation and as much as 6 inches at some point early Wednesday, especially across South Texas, where even tornadoes and flash flooding are possible.

In addition, the combination of Harold’s storm surge and the tide can cause normally dry areas near the coast to be inundated by rising waters moving inland from the Gulf of Mexico.

The water could thus reach up to 36 inches in height, especially in an area from the mouth of the Rio Grande to the Sargent, including Baffin, Corpus Christi, and Matagorda Bays.