Tropical Storm Bill Moving Farther Into Texas

Tropical Storm Bill continued to move farther into Texas after making landfall near Matagorda Island on Tuesday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Bill was located at latitude 29.5°N and longitude 97.0°W which put it about 45 miles (70 km) north of Victoria, Texas.  Bill was moving toward the north at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were winds gusts to 50 m.p.h. (85 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1000 mb.  The strongest winds were occurring primarily in a rainband over the Gulf of Mexico.  A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Port Oconnor to San Luis Pass, Texas.

The circulation around Bill remains well organized and most of the rain is falling north and east of the center.  The circulation will slowly spin down as it moves farther away from the Gulf of Mexico and its supply of moist air is reduced.  Bill is expected to move north and then turn northeast as it moves around the western end of a high pressure system centered off the coast of the southeastern U.S.  The greatest risk will be from locally heavy rain falling on saturated ground in north Texas and Oklahoma.  Flooding may occur in some locations as a result of the heavy rain.  Some of the moisture associated with the tropical storm could be transported over the Ohio River Valley later this week.