Tropical Storm Humberto Forms Off Texas

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Humberto formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, and officials issued a warning for parts of the Texas and Louisiana coasts where heavy rain could cause flooding.

Rain was already falling along the Gulf Coast at 2 p.m. EDT, with Humberto's center still about 70 miles south-southwest of Galveston, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said.

The eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its top sustained winds reach 74 mph.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

MIAMI (AP) - A tropical storm warning was issued Wednesday for parts of the Texas and Louisiana coasts as a tropical depression intensified in the Gulf of Mexico. Rain was already falling in the two states, and forecasters warned it could cause flooding.

At 11 a.m. EDT, the ninth tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and its center was about 85 miles south-southwest of Galveston, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said.

Senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven said about 5 to 10 inches of rain were expected along the middle and upper Texas coast and in southwestern Louisiana, with some areas possibly getting as much as 15 inches.

This has been a wet summer for Texas, so the extra rain could be "enough to create some considerable flooding," he said.

The depression was moving toward the north near 6 mph and was expected to cross the Texas coast later Wednesday within the warning area between Port O'Connor, Texas, and Cameron, La. A tropical storm watch was issued for Louisiana from Cameron to Intracoastal City.

Forecasters expect the depression to become a weak tropical storm with sustained winds of about 45 mph by the time it makes landfall.

A depression becomes a named tropical storm when its sustained winds reach 39 mph.

The next name on the National Hurricane Center's list for 2007 is Humberto.

Another tropical depression also formed Wednesday in the open Atlantic. It was centered about 1,130 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph and was moving west-northwest at about 12 mph.