Tropical Storm Harold is nearing landfall in South Texas with flooding rainfall and strong winds – CNN

CNN — Tropical Storm Harold is already unleashing heavy rain on the South Texas coast as its outer bands move ashore and the system nears the first US landfall of the Atlantic hurricane season midday Tuesday.

Tropical Storm Harold had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph Tuesday morning, when its center was about 155 miles east-southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said. More than 1 million people are under tropical storm warnings.

Rain will increase in intensity and tropical-storm-force winds will arrive over parts of South Texas by late Tuesday morning. The latest track has the system making landfall south of Corpus Christi by midday Tuesday.

Tropical storm warnings have been issued from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Port O’ Connor, Texas, with tropical storm watches in effect from Port O’Connor to Sargent, Texas. The storm threat is moving into southern Texas as the region continues to battle one of its hottest, driest summers on record.

Texans brace for tropical impacts

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deployed the Texas National Guard, swift water rescue boat squads, among other emergency resources ahead of the storm’s arrival. “Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources to South Texas as tropical storm conditions impact the region this week,” he said in a statement.

“I encourage Texans to remain weather-aware and heed the guidance of state and local officials and emergency management personnel as they work together to keep communities safe,” the governor added.