Beta Drifting This Way

Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin Monday morning in parts of Texas and Louisiana as Tropical Storm Beta slowly worked its way into a part of the country that’s already been drenched and battered during this year’s exceptionally busy hurricane season. Not expected to gain hurricane strength, forecasters also decreased estimated rainfall totals from Beta early Monday, saying in a U.S. National Hurricane Center advisory that up to 15 inches of rain could fall in some areas. That’s down from earlier predictions of up to 20 inches. Beta could make landfall along Texas’ central or upper Gulf Coast late Monday night, forecasters said. It was then expected to move northeastward along the coast and head into Louisiana sometime mid-week, with rainfall as its biggest threat.