***The story will be updated throughout the day***
Tropical Storm Beta on Sunday was making a slow crawl to the shores of Texas and Louisiana, casting worries about heavy rain, flooding and storm surge across the Gulf Coast.
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Beta was one of three named storms whirling in the Atlantic basin during an exceptionally busy hurricane season. If the system makes landfall in Texas — which forecasters predict it will sometime Monday — it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. Colorado State hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said that would tie a record set in 1916.
Coastal communities began preparing for Beta over the weekend, with both the city of Galveston and Galveston County on Saturday issued voluntary evacuation orders. The city of Seabrook to the north of Galveston did, too.
County Judge Mark Henry said during a Saturday news conference that his concern is also based on rising waters creating a storm surge and that a mandatory evacuation is not expected.
“If you can survive in your home for three or four days without power and electricity, which we’re not even sure that’s going to happen, you’re OK,” Henry said. “If it’s uncomfortable or you need life support equipment, maybe go somewhere else.”
Here are the facts for each storm being monitored.
Tropical Storm Beta
Tropical Storm Beta is about 180 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas.
As of 11 a.m. Sunday, maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph, as the storm moves west-northwest at 3 mph.
On the forecast track, the center of Beta will move toward the coast of Texas and will likely move inland Monday or Monday night, and remain close to the coast of southeastern Texas on Tuesday.
Little change in strength is forecast during the next couple of days before Beta reaches the Texas coast. Weakening is anticipated once Beta moves inland.
Beta is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches with isolated totals of 20 inches from the middle Texas coast to southern Louisiana, with 4 to 8 inches spreading northward into the lower Mississippi River Valley by mid-week.
Hurricane Teddy - Category 2
Teddy is a Category 2 Hurricane about 300 miles south-southeast of Bermuda.
As of 11 a.m. Sunday, forecasters said maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph as the storm moves northwest at 9 mph.
Little change in strength is expected today. Teddy is expected to remain a large and powerful hurricane through Monday, then become a strong post-tropical cyclone on Tuesday.
Officials said Teddy is a large hurricane and should be approaching Nova Scotia on Wednesday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles, forecasters said.
Tropical Depression Wilfred
Tropical Depression Wilfred is 1,340 miles west of The Cabo Verde Islands.
As of 11 a.m. Sunday, maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph. Wilfred is currently moving west-northwest at 20 mph.
Wilfred should slow its forward speed while heading toward the west or west-northwestward for the next few days until dissipation.
There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, forecasters said.