Texas is getting a LOT of rain this season... and Humberto added to that amount, forming right off the coast in the Gulf, and heading inland.

TROPICAL DEPRESSION 9
Tropical Depression 8 has formed well east of the Lesser Antilles in the Atlantic Ocean. At 11:00 a.m. EDT, the center was located near 13.2 north and 44.6 west or about 1130 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. The depression was moving toward the west-northwest at 12 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with strengthening to tropical storm status expected within the next 12 to 24 hours.

The depression has a well-developed central core based on the latest satellite photos with improving outflow overtop. The upper-level pattern over this system will continue to improve and and should favor development. The steering flow over this feature will continue to take it west to west-northwest. The system should move into the Lesser Antilles on Friday. Residents and people with interests in the Lesser Antilles should keep a close watch on this system.

An area of low pressure formed into Tropical Depression Nine this morning and has now been upgraded to Tropical Storm Humberto (45 mph). Currently, the storm is located just of the Texas coast and landfall is expected overnight.

The main concern from Humberto will be heavy rain and the potential for flooding. Rainfall totals could be in the 6-10" range with locally higher amounts through Friday in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Flood watches are posted for these areas including Houston, Galveston and Lake Charles. Tropical storm warnings/watches have also been issued for this area.

Around 6pm, the satellite/radar looked like this... Galveston was getting dinged pretty good by heavy rain

Humberto strengthened to a hurricane overnight, just prior to making landfall around 2:00 am CDT east of High Island, Texas. Maximum winds, in a small area to the north and northeast of the center, were near 85 mph at the time of landfall.

Humberto is now inland near the Texas-Louisiana boarder, moving northeast, and will weaken through today.

Hurricane warnings remain in effect from High Island, Texas to Cameron, Louisiania, and Tropical Storm Warnings remain in effect from Cameron to Intracoastal City, Louisiana; these will likely be dropped late this morning.

The heavy downpours are just about done in southeast Texas but continue across central and southern Louisiana and will expand into Mississippi. Rainfall rates have been as high as 3 inches per hour. Beaumont, Texas, has picked up 6.22 inches of rain. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches with local storm total amounts of 4 to 6 inches now focus on Louisiana. Flash flooding will be possible across all of the Lower Mississippi River Valley into Friday.

Gusty winds will still be an issue this morning, within heavy squalls, and especially near and to the east of the center of circulation, as is moves into southwest Louisiana. With gusts earlier to 84 mph, downed trees and power outages have been a big problem in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, but the wind threat will diminish as Humberto moves over Louisiana through today.

As with any land falling tropical system, isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out to the north and east of the center of circulation, across Louisiana and into Mississippi today.

Humberto will become a remnant by Friday, with its moisture being enveloped by an approaching cold front from the north.

Humberto has spun itself out...

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