Tropical Storm Harold Moves Through Texas with Significant Rainfall

Posted: August 22, 2023 3:04 pm

Tropical Storm Harold made landfall in Texas on Tuesday morning, marking the first U.S. landfall of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. Here is a look at what you can expect as Harold continues to move through South Texas as well as the forecast for the Caribbean as the hurricane season springs to life.

Tropical Storm Harold Makes Landfall on Padre Island Tuesday Morning

Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are warning that Tropical Storm Harold will continue to impact the state of Texas with heavy rain through at least Wednesday. Harold developed quickly in the Gulf of Mexico, coming on shore in Texas just 12 hours after taking on the status of a tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Harold made landfall at 9:55 am local time on Padre Island, approximately 50 miles south of Corpus Christi. The exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico contributed to the intensification of this storm as it churned over the open seas.

The forecast is calling for a general 1 – 4 inches of rain to pound South Texas. Locally higher amounts may fall in the Big Bend region of the Lone Star State. Although this amount of rain will cause disruptions, it will likely provide significant relief for a part of the state that is under the categorization of a moderate or severe drought.

Flash flooding is a serious concern with this weather maker because of the exceptionally dry grounds in the area. Dry ground typically has difficulties absorbing heavy rain, triggering runoff and flooding.

Harold will also usher in strong winds to the north of the center of the storm. These winds will lead to minor coastal flooding and storm surge levels of about 1 – 3 feet across the southern and central portions of the Texas coast. Isolated tornadoes will also be a threat throughout the evening hours on Tuesday due to the energy associated with this system.

What is Next for Tropical Storm Harold?

What is left of Harold is predicted to move farther inland on Wednesday where it will pass over the higher terrains in northern Mexico. These mountains will work to break apart the wind intensity by Wednesday morning.

The tropical moisture that Harold brought on shore is expected to hang on for a bit longer. The bulk of the moisture will move to the northwest, bringing the heavy rain into parts of western Texas, much of New Mexico, and eastern Arizona. You can expect this rain to linger into later in the week.

Tropical Storm Franklin Sets Sights on Caribbean

As South Texas is getting pounded with rain, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola will be preparing for their own tropical weather event. The recently formed Tropical Storm Franklin is set to make a turn to the north in the coming hours and move toward the islands of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola by the middle of the week as it continues moving through the southwestern Atlantic Ocean and the northern Caribbean.

The heavy rainfall associated with Franklin could trigger life-threatening flooding concerns for the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti.

Franklin got its start over the weekend as the disturbance developed a well-defined center of circulation. It took on the designation of a tropical storm once the disturbance started packing winds of 39 mph. While there is a good chance that Franklin could reach hurricane status, forecasters are predicting that it will remain a tropical storm through at least Tuesday night.

What is most concerning to the experts at the NHC is that the immense moisture within Franklin will likely fall across the higher terrains of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. This steep terrain is more susceptible to dangerous impacts such as flash flooding and mudslides. The vulnerable infrastructure in this part of the Caribbean is also at risk of experiencing substantial damage.

Forecasters are predicting that a general 2 – 4 inches of rain will impact Haiti and Puerto Rico. The heaviest of the rain will likely fall across the Dominican Republic, an area bracing for 8 – 12 inches of rain. The system is expected to move quickly through the region with the bulk of the rain coming down over a period of just 24 hours.

The rain will not be the only potentially dangerous impact of this storm. Dangerous rip currents, storm surge flooding, and high waves are all in the forecast. For instance, a storm surge of 3 – 6 feet is in the forecast for the southern coastal areas of the Dominican Republic.

What is Next for Tropical Storm Franklin?

The mountainous terrain in Hispaniola will take some of the punch out of Franklin. However, the storm is forecast to pick up more intensity as it moves back over the open waters north of the Caribbean by later in the week. This is the time frame in which Franklin could turn into a hurricane.

At this point, the models are indicating that Franklin will spend time meandering in the central Atlantic similar to the track that Hurricane Don took last month. There is also the chance that the system could move close to Bermuda by the weekend, bringing rain squalls to the group of islands.

Lastly, whatever is left of Franklin after the long journey through the basin could land to the north in Atlantic Canada by next week. Stay tuned to see how this weather maker develops in the coming days.

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