Tropical Storm Dean Batters Texas Coast

Tropical storm Dean whipped the Texas coast with 45 mph winds and much-needed rain Sunday after picking up some punch just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

The tropical depression was upgraded to a storm about 5:30 p.m. when its winds topped 39 mph.

Dean, the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, prompted tropical storm warnings along the coast from Corpus Christi, Texas, into Louisiana and flash floods warnings for some areas, including greater Houston.

“It’s on the moderate side. It’s not the kind that you’re battening down the hatches,” said Bill Read, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. “But I wouldn’t be doing any kind of water-sports activities.”