Tropical Storm Lashes Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Frances formed in the Gulf of Mexico and lashed the Texas coast with heavy wind and rain, meteorologists said. Portions of the Texas gulf coast and northeastern Mexico were under a tropical storm warning, alerting residents to imminent storm conditions, as the sixth storm of the 1998 Atlantic season drifted in the gulf. Oil companies responded by pulling workers from offshore production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, a key U.S. energy-producing region. Frances dumped up to five inches of rain on isolated areas of south Texas. Minor flooding was reported in Corpus Christi. Top winds were near 40 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported, making Frances a minimal tropical storm, but could strengthen today, forecasters said.