Parts of Texas and Louisiana are bracing for heavy rains as Tropical Storm Beta is expected to make landfall later Monday.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center does not predict the storm will turn into a hurricane but is warning that up to 51 centimeters of rain could fall in some places.
Texas and Louisiana have already been hit hard by rains and winds during this year’s busy hurricane season.
Beta is expected to make landfall along Texas's central or upper Gulf Coast late Monday and then move into Louisiana mid-week.
A storm surge of up 1.5 meters is forecast in parts of Southeast Texas. Strong seas Monday prompted the U.S. Coast Guard to close the ports of Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 29 Texas counties and urged residents to keep themselves safe from possible floods and storm surge.
Beta is the 23rd named storm of this year's Atlantic hurricane season and will be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020.
Forecasters are also watching Hurricane Teddy in the Atlantic Ocean as it moves past Bermuda and heads toward Nova Scotia, Canada.
