Alex Becomes First 2010 Hurricane

Alex, though erratic and slow to build, has officially become a hurricane. Texas residents are urged to prepare for a hurricane even though Alex is expected to track north-northwest in the next 24 hours. Alex is expected to make landfall in northern Mexico and southern Texas by late Wednesday or early Thursday morning. Sustained winds are at 80 mph making it a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, but the storm is also expected to strengthen by the time it makes landfall. Residents in Mexico and Texas could see 6 to 12 inches of rain with isolated areas getting 20 inches of rain or more. Therefore, flash floods are likely to occur. Hurricane-induced tornadoes are also likely to form.