Tropical Storm Hanna expected to bring rain, minor flooding to area.
The Houston region for now appears to be out of any path of newly formed Tropical Storm Hanna in the Gulf.
The system is expected to make landfall Saturday somewhere between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, according to Space City Weather. Unless the system rapidly intensifies, the main threat to Texas will be rainfall, primarily along the coast.
The National Weather Service forecast shows 3 to 4 inches of rain for coastal counties in Southeast Texas, including Galveston, and 1 to 2 inches for inland areas around Houston.
Some parts of the Houston area could see up to 4 inches of rain, but as of Thursday afternoon, forecasters at Space City Weather predicted nuisance flooding on roadways with minor impacts.
“Tropical Depression Eight does not have the look of something we think the greater Houston area should worry too much about,” meteorologist Eric Berger wrote. “The usual disclaimers apply, of course. This is the tropics. Things change. But at this point we’re trending toward moderate to minimal effects.”
Overall, Houston-area residents can expect a wet weekend with thunderstorms and heavy rain from Friday afternoon through Monday. High temperatures will hover around 88 degrees during that time, according to the weather service.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from Port Mansfield to Jamaica Beach, as well as Jackson and Matagorda counties. Elevated tides and strong rip currents are expected.
As of Thursday, the storm was moving west-northwest at 7 mph with maximum wind speeds of 40 mph.
Tropical Storm Gonzalo also was churning west across the Atlantic on Thursday, bringing an increased risk of wind and rain to the southern Windward Islands, roughly 500 miles southeast of Puerto Rico.
Forecasters are still uncertain how strong that storm will be when it moves across the islands, but hurricane or tropical storm conditions could arrive by Saturday in the Windward Islands.