June 19 2024: US heat wave and weather news

Our live coverage of the record-breaking US heat wave has moved here.

As Tropical Storm Alberto nears the coast of Mexico early Thursday morning, tropical storm warnings have been discontinued along the Texas coast as heavy rains and gusty winds begin to subside, according to the National Hurricane Center. The tropical storm warning for northern Mexico continues.

“Rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Alberto is expected to begin to diminish across southern Texas during the day, with additional rainfall totals of 1 inch or less expected,” the hurricane center said.

Meanwhile, coastal flood advisories continue along the Texas coast as storm surge could reach 2 to 4 feet.

Alberto is located about 40 miles east of Tampico, Mexico, and 250 miles south of Brownsville, Texas, moving west at 13 mph, according to the 5 a.m. ET National Hurricane Center update.

Vehicles drive through flooded neighborhoods in Surfside Beach, Texas on June 19.

A relentless streak of extreme weather is disrupting communities across the US from dangerous heat in the East to fires and floods in the West.

To make matters worse, a massive tropical storm is expected to make landfall in northeastern Mexico Thursday morning and is already being felt in southern Texas, where entire neighborhoods have been swamped with floodwaters.

Here’s where we start the day:

Tropical Storm Alberto nears landfall: The gigantic tropical storm is expected to slam into Tampico, Mexico, Thursday morning. With outer bands reaching more than 400 miles from its center, Alberto’s impacts are already being felt in northeastern Mexico and southern Texas, where heavy rains, coastal flooding and tropical storm-force winds are wreaking havoc. Dangerous flash flooding and storm surge are likely to inundate coastal communities in these areas, as well as southern Louisiana.

Fires and floods create crisis in New Mexico: Within 24 hours, two fires raging in southern New Mexico have killed at least two people, damaged 1,400 structures and forced the evacuation of more than 8,000 residents. The state’s governor has requested federal disaster assistance and called the crisis “one of the most devastating fires in New Mexico’s history.” To make matters worse, thunderstorms in the area have triggered dangerous flooding – and more rain is on the way Thursday.

California firefighters brace for 100-degree heat: Crews working to reign in the 19,000-acre Sites Fire in California may have to contend with 100-degree temperatures over the coming days as a heat advisory has been issued for central California. Not only does the heat threaten to feed the flames, but it also poses significant health risks for firefighters working under the sun.

Heat wave broils the Northeast: A long-lasting heat wave has been baking the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast under 90-degree temperatures – reaching more than 20 degrees above normal in some places. More than 15 daily high temperature records were broken on Wednesday. The heat wave is expected to peak in the Great Lakes and New England on Thursday but will continue for several more days in many areas. Because heat worsens the ozone and other types of pollution, several air quality advisories are in effect. 

A person walks inside a store with boarded up glass panels to protect it from the impact of Tropical Storm Alberto, in Tampico, Mexico on June 19.

Tropical Storm Alberto is now about 120 miles east-southeast of Tampico, Mexico and about 290 miles south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas.

The storm is moving at 9 mph and is expected to make landfall Thursday morning near Tampico, Mexico.

Alberto has winds of 50 mph and continues to bring heavy rain, coastal flooding and powerful wind gusts to northeastern Mexico and Texas as it approaches the coast.

The remains of a residence are seen destroyed in the aftermath of the South Fork fire in Alto, New Mexico, on June 19

Within 24 hours, two fires raging in southern New Mexico have killed at least two people, damaged 1,400 structures and forced the evacuation of more than 8,000 residents in what the state’s governor called “one of the most devastating fires in New Mexico’s history.”

About 500 of the damaged buildings are believed to be homes, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said Wednesday night.

No cause has been determined for the fires, but investigators are working diligently to pinpoint their origin, the governor said. 

Severe thunderstorms in the area have also triggered flooding and more rainfall is expected Thursday. Grisham urged residents not to try to return to the Ruidoso area.

“We need folks to stay away,” said Grisham during a news briefing. “Do not drive across any flooded area, it is incredibly dangerous.”

The South Fork Fire has consumed 16,335 acres and the Salt Fire has burned 7,071 acres, according to an interagency advisory.

In a still photo taken from a video, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham speaks to reporters in Ruidoso on Wednesday. 

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has asked President Joe Biden to declare a major disaster in response to the South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire, the governor said Wednesday night.

“Our first responders are heroes, but they need more resources to combat this disaster and keep our people safe,” Grisham said in a news release. “New Mexico has faced disaster before, but the scale of this emergency requires immediate federal intervention.” 

The aid would be used to address the needs of fire victims, including housing, crisis counseling and displacement assistance.

A heat advisory has been issued for parts of central California, including Colusa County where firefighters are working around the clock to rein in the Sites Fire.

The advisory lasts until 8 p.m. Saturday.

High temperatures between 100 and 106 are expected and would threaten to hinder firefighting efforts, in part because they would pose a significant threat of heat illness for crews working under the sun.

Temperatures likely won’t drop below the mid 60s to mid 70s, meaning those without adequate air conditioning will see little relief.

Another day of heat is possible from the Midwest to New England on Thursday as temperatures from the low to mid 90s become widespread.

Some areas could also see highs in the upper 90s. In Connecticut, Hartford could see a high temperature of 97 degrees and Manchester, New Hampshire, is forecast to hit 98 degrees on Thursday.

New England should begin to see a break from the heat on Friday as a cold front moves through the region. Boston’s high temperature will go from 97 degrees on Thursday to 79 degrees on Friday.

Heat is expected to ramp up for the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest on Friday and should spread southward to much of the Southeast for the weekend.

Washington D.C. is forecast to reach 100 degrees on Saturday, which would be the first time they have seen 100 degrees since 2016. 

Flash flooding carrying debris, ash and hail through Cedar Creek as the South Fork Fire continues to burn in Ruidoso, New Mexico, on June 19.

After a day of severe thunderstorms brought locally heavy rainfall across parts of New Mexico, more rainfall could impact the Ruidoso area on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

A double whammy of fires and floods is tearing through communities around Ruidoso, New Mexico, many of which were forced to evacuate as two wildfires converged on the area. Though rain can help firefighters, it can also lead to more flash flooding and debris flows, especially across burn scars. 

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Thursday, with wind gusts potentially reaching up to 25 mph. If the storms become severe enough, they could prompt more flooding.

By Thursday evening, some remnant moisture from what will be left of Tropical Storm Alberto is expected to move into the area, potentially lasting into Friday.

The Sites Fire in northern California’s Colusa County grew to 19,000 acres, up from the previously reported 15,656 acres, Cal Fire said in a post on X Wednesday. 

The fire, which is only 10% contained, is the largest active blaze in California, according to Cal Fire.

“We’ve significantly augmented our resources on the fire and now have 1,504 personnel on it behind 107 engines, 20 dozers, 42 hand crews, 18 water tenders and 15 helicopters,” the agency said.

A massive dust storm driven by winds from nearby thunderstorms is sweeping through southern New Mexico and could drastically reduce visibility for drivers.

This dust storm, also known as a haboob, is heading east to west across southern New Mexico, according to a post from the National Weather Service in El Paso, TX. There are preliminary reports of visibility as low as a quarter of a mile southeast of Deming.

The haboob is connected to the severe thunderstorms across New Mexico and southwestern Texas but is not being driven by Tropical Storm Alberto. 

The National Weather Service in El Paso has issued a dust storm warning for southwestern New Mexico until 10:15 pm along for Interstate 10 near Gage, Libson and Separ, as well as US-70 near Lordsburg.

Poor visibility from another burst of dust contributed to an accident involving 23 vehicles along Interstate 25, according to a news release from Sandoval County. At least 18 injured people were taken to hospitals in Albuquerque and Santa Fe as a result of the incident.

There was blowing dust in the area at the time, Matt Demaria with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque told CNN.  

A local police officer checks the Miramar beach before the arrival of Tropical Storm Alberto in Tampico, Tamaulipas State, Mexico, on June 19.

Tropical Storm Alberto is expected to make landfall Thursday morning near Tampico, Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

The storm has strengthened slightly and is now blowing winds of 50 mph with even higher gusts.

Though it has yet to make landfall, Alberto’s tropical storm-force winds extend more than 450 miles north of its center into southern Texas. Heavy rains, coastal flooding and gusty winds are forecast to continue along the coasts of Texas and Northeastern Mexico through Thursday. 

Rainfall of 5 to 10 inches is expected across northeast Mexico and south Texas. As many as 20 inches are possible across the higher terrain areas of the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas.

This rainfall will likely produce considerable flash and urban flooding along with new and renewed river flooding. Mudslides are also possible in areas of higher terrain across northeast Mexico.

Storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels in some coastal areas of northeastern Mexico. Along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, between 1-4 feet of storm surge could hit at high tide.

A few tornadoes are even possible overnight across the southernmost parts of Texas and southeast Texas.

Flooded roadways and parking lots, seen in Corpus Christi, Texas on June 19.

Roadways and parking lots in parts of Corpus Christi, Texas, disappeared Wednesday as Tropical Storm Alberto brought coastal flooding to parts of southern Texas.

Several bait and fishing shops and restaurants along the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway were surrounded by floodwaters, pictures taken by resident Nicole Scofield show.

“I expected that there would be coastal flooding as I’ve been keeping track of the storm but it was still a bit of a surprise when we actually got out and saw the outcome of the tropical storm and the effects it has had on the island so far,” Scofield told CNN.

A view of anchored boats as dark clouds caused by Tropical Storm Alberto gather on the horizon, in Veracruz, Mexico on June 19.

The center of Tropical Storm Alberto is approaching Mexico’s shoreline and is about 100 miles from the state of Veracruz and 150 miles from Tamaulipas, according to Mexico’s National Meteorological Service.

 The tropical storm is crawling toward the west-southwest at 9 mph with sustained winds of 40mph and gusts of up to 52 mph, said.

The storm could bring winds strong enough to topple trees and billboards and churn up waves up to 4 meters tall.

“Extraordinary rainfall” is expected in the states of Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Veracruz.

“Intense” and “torrential” rain is expected for eight other Mexican states, and “very strong” rain in four other states.

The rainfall is “expected to be accompanied by lightning and possible hail, and could generate landslides, increases in the levels of rivers and streams, as well as overflows and flooding,” the service said in a statement.

Along with heavy rainfall, Tropical Storm Alberto is bringing high wind gusts across southern Texas, according to the National Weather Service.

Here are some of the highest wind gusts in the state over the last 24 hours: 

Tropical storm warnings remain across southern Texas including Corpus Christi, where gusts to 50 mph are still possible.

More than 12,000 homes and businesses across Texas are without power and more outages are expected in the coming hours.

A still photo taken from a video shows Michael Kubecka's yard flooded in Matagorda, Texas on June 19.

Coastal Texas resident Michael Kubecka told CNN he was caught off guard by the severity of flooding brought on by Tropical Storm Alberto, which filled his downstairs bedroom with about a foot of water Wednesday evening.

The 37-year-old is a fishing guide in Matagorda, Texas and lives there year-round.

“We’re used to this, the kinda high water,” Kubecka said. “This one didn’t really seem like much of a threat because it was hitting south into Mexico, so we weren’t that worried about it and a lot of us didn’t really prepare for the tide to get that high.”

At around 8 p.m. Wednesday, he drove through Egret Island in Matagorda County to scope out the damage, which he describes as “crazy.” 

Heavy rainfall continues to lash southern Texas as downpours associated with Tropical Storm Alberto move through the region.

Parts of southern Texas have already received over a month’s worth of rainfall from Alberto:

Here are some other notable rainfall amounts from Texas:

Flood watches remain over southern Texas until Thursday afternoon and the storms could dump between 5 and 10 inches of rain.

On Orwin road fire crews battle a hot spot at the Gorman Brush Fire on June 16, in Gorman, CA.

The number of acres burnt from wildfires in California went up 1,462% compared to the same period in 2023, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in a post on X. 

From January 1 to June 19, 2023, 5,747 acres were burned in California, compared to 89,784 acres burned in the same period this year, according to Cal Fire. 

Wildfires in the state are up 9% this spring, the agency said. 

A tornado watch related to Tropical Storm Alberto has been issued for southern Texas until 7 a.m. CDT, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC).

The watch includes over 2 million people and includes cities like Corpus Christi and Brownsville.

A flash flood emergency has been issued for an area that includes Ruidoso, New Mexico, until 11 p.m. tonight, the National Weather Service in Albuquerque said.

“Emergency management reported that swift water rescues are ongoing near Hollywood and along US Highway 70,” the office warned.

Due to heavy rainfall in the area, the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood jumped over 6 feet in only 15 minutes. The current river level is 8.36 feet and minor flood stage is 10 feet. 

The worst of the rainfall has passed but scattered storms could still trigger flooding and debris flows, especially in burn scars. The area is under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m.