Tropical Storm Harold moving northwest in the Gulf of Mexico, August 22, 2023. via NOAA Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Harold on Tuesday thrashed the southern tip of Texas with damaging winds and heavy downpours as forecasters warned of possible flash flooding, minor damage and power outages throughout the day. Some 1.3 million people in the Deep South Texas and Rio Grande Valley area were under a tropical storm warning as Harold, packing 50 mile (80 km) per hour winds, made landfall at about 10 a.m. local time on Padre Island, Texas, the National Weather Service said. The storm could produce coastal flooding and flooding along rivers, roadways and in poor drainage areas. Some 7,500 homes and businesses in southern Texas were without power as the storm arrived in the area, according to Poweroutage.us. In anticipation of the storm, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of state emergency response resources and an increase in the readiness level of the state's emergency operations center.

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Persons: Harold, Greg Abbott, Brendan O'Brien, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: NOAA Acquire, Tuesday, National Weather Service, Texans, Nuevo, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Texas, South Texas, Rio Grande, Padre Island , Texas, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Chicago