Two tropical systems emerge

Texas faces another deluge from one storm, while the other is not a threat to land yet.

By Times Wires
Published September 13, 2007

FORT LAUDERDALE - Two tropical systems sprang up Wednesday, including a depression in the central Atlantic and Tropical Storm Humberto, which immediately took aim at the Texas gulf coast.

Of greater interest to Florida is the tropical depression that formed about 2,500 miles southeast of Miami. Although disorganized on Wednesday evening, it was expected to become Tropical Storm Ingrid today and intensify to just shy of hurricane strength within five days, the National Hurricane Center said.

While its sustained winds of 35 mph posed no immediate threat to any land area, initial projections had the slow-moving system heading toward Antigua, Barbuda and other islands of the northern Lesser Antilles over the next week. From there, it could aim toward the Caribbean or the U.S. East Coast or curve out to sea, forecasters said.

That depends on an area of high pressure north of the system, known as the Bermuda High. The area is forecast to weaken over the next few days - and just how much will determine how sharply the system turns, said Jack Beven of the hurricane center.

After emerging in the northwest Gulf of Mexico Wednesday afternoon, Tropical Storm Humberto promised to bring more rain and possibly flooding to Texas, which has had one of the wettest summers in more than 50 years.

Forecasters warned residents along a 270-mile stretch of coastline extending into southwestern Louisiana to brace for the storm, which was expected to slosh ashore south of Houston overnight Wednesday.

The storm's rain bands were spreading over the coast by Wednesday night. Between 5 and 10 inches of rain was expected, with some spots possibly getting as much as 15 inches. But authorities said evacuations were not necessary.

In Austin, Gov. Rick Perry activated 50 military vehicles with 200 soldiers, plus a half-dozen helicopters and two swift-water rescue teams. Other crews from the U.S. Coast Guard were on standby.

With Humberto, the Atlantic hurricane season has had eight named storms, including hurricanes Dean and Felix.

[Last modified September 13, 2007, 00:50:06]