Hurricane Humberto Slams Into Texas Coast

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Hurricane Humberto Smacks Into Texas

Humberto Brings Flood Warnings In Texas, Louisiana

POSTED: 12:23 pm EDT September 12, 2007

UPDATED: 10:13 am EDT September 13, 2007

HOUSTON -- Much of Beaumont, Texas, was in the dark Thursday morning after Hurricane Humberto roared through with heavy rains and sustained winds of up to 80 mph.

The storm, which developed Wednesday as a tropical depression, became a Category 1 hurricane Thursday morning just before coming ashore near High Island up the Gulf Coast from Galveston. Weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours as it continues to move inland.

The biggest danger was from the rain from the storm. Some areas were expected to get up to 15 inches of rainfall.

Rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches were expected from southwestern to northeastern Louisiana across far southeastern Arkansas and into central and northern Mississippi, with isolated maximum accumulations of 15 inches possible, according to the National Weather Service.

Flood warnings were issued for parts of Southeast Texas, including Beaumont, on into Louisiana.

The region has already been saturated by unusually heavy summer rains.

Humberto was moving Thursday morning toward the north-northeast near 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds were near 85 mph, with higher gusts confined to a small area northeast of the center.

An observing station at Beaumont, Texas, has reported wind gusts to 60 mph.

Isolated tornadoes are possible in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana through Thursday afternoon.

No evacuations were ordered as Humberto neared the coast, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated 50 military vehicles with 200 soldiers, plus six helicopters and two swift-water rescue teams. Other crews from the U.S. Coast Guard were on standby.

In Louisiana, Gov. Kathleen Blanco has declared a state of emergency.

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