Tropical Storm Alberto dissipates after killing 4 in Mexico; coastal flooding possible in Texas

People along the coast of Texas remain on alert late Thursday after officials warned of elevated water levels and heavy rainfall as deadly Tropical Storm Alberto dissipated over northern Mexico.

By Thursday afternoon, Alberto’s remnants had spread over parts of Mexico. The system's maximum sustained winds remained near 30 mph with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center, and heavy rainfall was expected to impact northeast Mexico with totals of 5 to 10 inches forecasted.

Rainfall totals of around 20 inches were also possible in higher terrain across parts of Mexico's Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas states, the NHC said.

The first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season made landfall in Mexico early Thursday, according to the NHC. It had officially dissipated as of the NHC's 4 p.m. CDT advisory, which was the final one for Alberto.

At least four people were reported to have died due to the storm in Mexico.

Alberto is kicking off what experts have said will be a busy storm season. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Director Rick Spinrad said last month that the Atlantic hurricane season is shaping up to be "extraordinary," with an "85% chance for an above-average year."

Southern Texas hit with heavy rain as Gulf Coast threatened by flooding

Although the storm had dissipated, much of the Gulf Coast from southern Texas to Louisiana and Alabama remained under flood advisories through Friday as high winds threatened to push water into coastal communities.

The storm began drenching southern Texas on Wednesday, triggering widespread coastal flooding that left Surfside Beach, a city along the Texas Gulf Coast south of Houston, under several feet of water. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are among the main threats for the Gulf Coast of Texas through Friday.

Multiple south-central counties received 1 and 3 inches of rain by 2 a.m. Thursday, the weather service office in Corpus Christi said, adding: "Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly."

High winds and intermittent rain pelted the area through Wednesday and Thursday, causing road closures in Corpus Christi, Texas. Authorities said multiple roads were closed due to high water and flooding throughout the city.

Residents of Corpus Christi and neighboring cities were advised to move to higher ground and avoid walking or driving through flood waters.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 51 counties and activated three platoons of the Texas National Guard, including more than 40 personnel, 20 vehicles, and Chinook helicopters.

At least 4 dead in Mexico due to storm

The storm also lashed Mexico with heavy rain, and caused the deaths of at least three minors, Nuevo Leon state Gov. Samuel Garcia told local media late Wednesday. By Thursday morning, civil protection authorities had reported a fourth death due to an electric shock, local media reported.

Authorities later identified one of the victims as a 15-year-old boy. The teenager had been swept away by a current outside Monterrey, Mexico's third-biggest city in Nuevo Leon state, where the Santa Catarina river swelled and broke its banks.

Tropical Storm Alberto tracker

Contributing: Reuters; John Bacon, Kirsten Crow, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical Storm Alberto dissipates after killing 4 in Mexico