Tropical Storm Humberto continues to gradually strengthen this evening, but is running out of time to become a hurricane.
It should bring beneficial rains to Alabama starting tomorrow afternoon and lasting into Friday.
Air Force recon was in the storm and found 61 mph surface winds and a pressure of 998 millibars at 5:34 p.m. CDT. That represents a pressure drop of 1 millibar in about an hour and 45 minutes.
The Houston Doppler radar clearly indicates the center of the storm some 40 miles due south of Galveston. It is moving north at 7 mph.
Flash flood watches are in effect for areas near and east of the forecast track, where 3 to 9 inch rains will be common with 15 inches not out of the question. Three to four inches of rain per hour will be possible.
Galveston has already picked up 3.38 inches.
Tidal run up of 2-3 feet will occur in Galveston Bay and east of San Luis Pass.
A tornado watch will be issued in the near future for Southeast Texas.
Spot reports from Southeast Texas…
Galveston…heavy rain…wind ENE 21 G 28
Brazoria County Airport…light rain…N 15 G 23
Pearland…light rain…NNE 14 G 22
Houston/Hobby…light rain…NE 15
Houston/Intercontinental…cloudy…ENE 15
Beaumont…light rain…ENE 13
Rain and storms will arrive in oiur area tomorrow afternoon as moisture surges back northward. Rain could become heavy at times tomorrow night and Friday across the area as the remnant low of Humberto curves northeastward towards northern Mississippi by Friday morning.
In the far eastern Atlantic, tropical depression eight is east of the islands tonight. It will be a tropical storm soon. It may miss the islands, but could be a threat to the Southeast Coast of the United States.
