Tropical Storm Hanna is making its way toward Texas. The system, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Depression Eight on Wednesday night, fortified into a typhoon late Thursday. It is the earliest H-named storm in an Atlantic basin hurricane season.
The storm has sustained the winds of 40 mph, with gusts of 50 mph, according to a meteorologist Robert Shackelford. Hanna is expected to slightly reinforce before making landfall in Texas Saturday afternoon or evening. The storm cautions are in effect from Port Mansfield to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
Flooding rainfall will probably be the greatest threat from the storm system, with 3 to 6 inches expected and isolated amounts up to 10 inches. Beyond Hurricane-force winds, rainfall will be a massive concern, from Louisiana to southern Texas. A tropical hurricane warning implies that storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area in the next 36 hours.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for San Luis Pass to High Island, Texas. This watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours. Though still very early, experts predict this year will have an active hurricane season. The record for the earliest H-named storm was previously set by the Storm Harvey on August 3, 2005.
