CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Just 19 days in the the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, the first named storm took aim at the Coastal Bend. Tropical Storm Alberto was a relatively weak storm, but the impacts here in the Coastal Bend were significant.
Alberto was far...
Alberto has a very broad center of circulation and was by all accounts a lopsided storm, packing most of the punch several hundred miles to the north. In fact, throughout the duration of the storm Alberto remained about 400 miles south of Corpus Christi.
This disorganized nature of the storm is why it was initially known at Potential Tropical Cyclone One (PTC #1), before eventually becoming Tropical Storm Alberto. The storm battered the Texas coastline as the first feeder bands moved ashore before daybreak on Wednesday, June 19. All four of the typical hazards in a tropical cyclone impacted our area (flooding, storm surge, wind, and tornadoes) for the following 24 hours. Alberto quickly dissipated after making landfall near Tampico, Mexico on Thursday morning.
Here's How the storm impacted the Coastal Bend
Aransas county takes the cake as for the highest impacts. The area saw some of the strongest winds, highest storm surge, flooding, and both tornadoes. Thankfully no injuries or fatalities were reported. Significant impacts are to be expected in the northeast quadrant of a storm.
Flooding
Rainfall totals of three to eight inches were reported across the Coastal Bend, with some Coastal Bend Weather Watchers measuring higher amounts! The highest rainfall total was measured in Lamar (near Rockport) where a private weather station recorded 10.5 inches!
Storm Surge
Coastal flooding was significant along our coast, particularly for a Tropical Storm that was centered so far away! More than three feet of inundation was reported from Baffin Bay to Matagorda Bay. Strong onshore winds pushed water onto coastal roadways. North Beach saw numerous high water rescues, as roads and property came under water. On Padre Island, piers, roads, and bulkheads were washed away.
Wind
While sustained winds remained below tropical-storm-force area wide, frequent gusts to tropical-storm-force were reported. the strongest wind gusts in our area were recorded at both Corpus Christi International Airport and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi (about 50 mph).
Tornadoes
Two EF-0 tornadoes were report in Rockport. Damage was isolated to a few homes.
What this could mean for the rest of the season...
With a looming La Niña (expected to be active by late July), we are still expecting this hurricane season to be busy. Though it's not something South Texans have has to worry about since 2015's Tropical Storm Bill, June storms are a part of our normal tropical climatology.
With very warm ocean temperatures, and numerous tropical waves in the Atlantic Basin, it's crucial to be prepared for the next storm. No storm is exactly the same, but it appears at least from initial reports that Alberto was more impactful to the Coastal Bend that 2023's Tropical Storm Harold. Alberto showed us that even low-end tropical systems can be damaging, hazadous, and impact our inland neighborhood. Take this time to check/restock your hurricane preparations and stay with your KRIS 6 Weather Experts for the latest tropical updates!