HARLINGEN, Texas—Rescue workers were activated in southern Texas in preparation for heavy rain expected to accompany newly formed Tropical Storm Erin moving through the Gulf of Mexico.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Texas Gulf coast from Freeport to the Rio Grande.

The fifth tropical depression of the Atlantic storm season popped up in the Gulf last night.

Wednesday morning, it was about 250 miles east-southeast of Brownsville and about 290 miles east of La Pesca, Mexico.

The hurricane center says it’s moving west-northwest at 14 miles per hour.

Forecasters expect total rainfall of 3 to 5 inches along the middle Texas coast, with isolated rainfall of 8 inches.

A tropical storm watch remains for the northeastern coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando to the Rio Grande.

On Tuesday rescue workers were activated in southern Texas in preparation for heavy rain expected.

Gov. Rick Perry said he was sending emergency vehicles and personnel to southern Texas in advance of the weather system. “Because storms have saturated much of our state this summer, many communities in this storm’s projected path are at high risk of dangerous flash flooding,” Perry said in a statement hours before the tropical storm watch was issued.

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South Padre Island Bay view

He said he was sending 30 vehicles and 60 Texas National Guard members to Weslaco and San Antonio, was activating three helicopter rescue swimmer teams and was putting six teams on standby. 

Volunteer organizations were being prepared to provide mass care support.

National Weather Service forecaster Tim Speece said the system could bring heavy rains as far north as Victoria and as far inland as the Hill Country.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Dean got a little stronger late Tuesday in the Atlantic but remained far from land early Wednesday, forecasters said.

NOAA

At 4 a.m., the storm was centered about 1,170 miles east of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. It had top sustained winds of 50 mph, up from 40 mph on Tuesday. Some strengthening was expected within the next day.

Dean was moving over increasingly warmer waters, where atmospheric conditions could create a favorable environment for intensification into a hurricane by Friday, forecasters said. It was cruising west at about 18 mph. Forecasters said it was too early to tell where Dean will go.

Hurricanes have sustained winds of at least 74 mph.

Hurricane forecasters expect this year’s Atlantic hurricane

season to be busier than average. Last week, they said as many as 16 tropical storms were likely to form, with nine strengthening into hurricanes.

The season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but August typically marks the start of the most active period. Ten tropical storms developed in the Atlantic last year, but only two made landfall in the United States.