Houston – Tropical Storm Humberto formed off the Texas coast Wednesday, promising to bring more rain and possibly flooding to a state coming off one of the wettest summers in more than 50 years.
Forecasters warned residents along a 220-mile stretch of coastline extending into southwestern Louisiana to brace for the storm, which was expected to slosh ashore south of Houston overnight Wednesday.
The storm’s rain bands were spreading over the coast. Between 5 and 10 inches of rain was expected, with some spots possibly getting as much as 15 inches. Authorities said evacuations were not necessary.
“This obviously isn’t an evacuation event or hurricane,” said John Simsen, emergency coordinator for Galveston County. “However, it looks to be a prolonged rain event and some pretty substantial tropical-storm-force winds.”
In Austin, Gov. Rick Perry activated 50 military vehicles with 200 soldiers, plus a half-dozen helicopters and two swift-water rescue teams. Other crews from the U.S. Coast Guard were on standby.
The warning area included Louisiana’s Cameron Parish, which was devastated by Hurricane Rita in September 2005. More than 500 federally issued travel trailers and mobile homes remain occupied there.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency as Humberto approached. Shelters were on standby in some areas, and sandbags were being made available, officials said.
Another tropical depression also formed Wednesday far in the open Atlantic, about 1,065 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Forecasters said it could quickly become a tropical storm, named Ingrid.
