Ingrid Makes Landfall: Serious Flooding Expected

 

 

Ingrid made landfall along the coast of Mexico near La Pesca Monday morning and was downgraded to a tropical storm.

 

Torrential rainfall will fall on already water-logged areas of eastern Mexico as Ingrid moves inland. Ingrid will also bring some fringe impacts to southern Texas.

Eastern Mexico has the potential to pick up over 10 inches of rainfall, with localized amounts up to 25 inches through the upcoming week. Life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides are expected in these areas, particularly in higher terrain locations.

 

Unfortunately, these same areas have been drenched by Tropical Storm Fernand, Tropical Depression Eight, and ordinary thunderstorms since then. For instance, the city of Matlapa in San Luis Potosí state received 17.29 inches of rain in the five-day period ending 10 a.m. CDT Sunday. So the stage is set for a potentially catastrophic flood event if Ingrid brings the amount of rain currently forecast to fall on eastern Mexico.

Although the major impacts from Ingrid will target Mexico, bands of locally heavy rain will rotate northward as far as the southern Texas coast, as well. While much of Deep South Texas remains in extreme or exceptional drought, heavy rainfall on the order of one inch or more per hour may run off quickly, leading to flash flooding.

 

Increased surf, rip currents and some coastal flooding will also be an issue along the southern Texas coast. The combination of higher water levels with high tide and breaking waves running up the beaches could lead to some dune erosion and minor coastal flooding.