Southeast Texans could be waking up to a tropical mess

Tropical Storm Humberto gathered steam as he rumbled toward the Southeast Texas coast late Wednesday night, and forecasters expected near-hurricane force winds when he made landfall somewhere between Galveston and Sabine Pass in the wee hours Thursday morning.

The National Hurricane Center's 10 p.m. advisory said Humberto's center was only about 45 miles south-southwest of High Island and moving about 6 mph.

Predictions had Humberto making landfall between 3 and 4 a.m. at Sea Rim Park in Jefferson County west of Sabine Pass on Texas 87. Meteorologists were expecting tornadoes in the northeast quadrant of the storm once it makes landfall.

The National Weather Service said Humberto's winds were churning at 65 mph and gaining speed, and the storm likely would hit Southeast Texas with the force of a hurricane "in a small area close to where the center crosses the coast." Humberto's winds need to reach 73 mph for it to be considered a hurricane.

Rainfall of 5 to 10 inches still was forecast in Humberto's path, with 15 inches in some areas. Forecasters also predict a storm surge of 3 to 4 feet above normal tides near and east of the storm's center.

Hurricane Humberto Crashes Into Texas Coast

Humberto slammed the southeast coast of Texas just east of High Island at about 3am ET, near the neighboring southern state of Louisiana. The storm is expected to weaken as it crosses Louisiana, US officials said.

A hurricane warning was issued from east of High Island to the town of Cameron in Louisiana and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has already declared a state of emergency ahead of the arrival of the storm.

The category one storm - the lowest strength on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale - is expected to drop between five and 10 inches of rain on the already-saturated Texas and Louisiana coasts, but authorities have not ordered residents to evacuate.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has already activated search and rescue teams and state resources, including 50 vehicles, 200 soldiers, six Blackhawk helicopters and two swift-water rescue teams before Humberto even grew into a hurricane.

Hurricane Humberto Hits Texas With Winds of 85 Mph

Humberto, the third hurricane of the Atlantic season, slammed into eastern Texas with winds of 85 miles (135 kilometers) an hour.

Humberto hit the Texas coast east of High Island at about 2 a.m. local time, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on its Web site. At 4 a.m. today, Humberto was about 60 miles northeast of Galveston, and heading north-northeast at 8 mph. The system grew to a hurricane early today, less than 24 hours after developing into a tropical depression. The hurricane is expected to weaken to a tropical storm over land.

Forecasters are also monitoring a system that was about 930 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and had sustained winds of about 35 mph. The depression in the Caribbean may develop into a tropical storm today, the center said in a separate advisory.