Howlingwolf
07-23-2008, 02:36 PM
http://www.kcci.com/news/16961756/detail.html
Hurricane Dolly Makes Landfall In S. Texas
Storm Now Category 2
POSTED: 3:03 am CDT July 23, 2008
UPDATED: 1:12 pm CDT July 23, 2008
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- Forecasters said Hurricane Dolly has made landfall near South Padre Island in Texas.
Dolly is a Category 2 storm with top sustained winds near 100 mph.
The storm has forced thousands of people on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border into shelters.
Heavy rains and high winds from the storm collapsed an apartment roof, blown over signs and cut power to thousands of customers.
Landfall is when a storm's center crosses the coastline, but it does not necessarily indicate where the worst weather is.
Cities and counties in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas were bracing for massive flooding and levee breaks.
In Brownsville, Texas, palm trees were leaning and small debris was being strewn across the all-but empty streets.
An emergency management official in Cameron County, Texas, said there are nearly 2,000 people in six shelters in the county.
In Hidalgo County, Texas, a little bit farther inland, six shelters holding about 900 people were open. People living in low-lying areas were encouraged to go to shelters.
Mexican soldiers were making a last-minute attempt to rescue people at the mouth of the Rio Grande. They've been using an inflatable raft to rescue at least one family trapped in their home.
Officials in Mexico plan to evacuate 23,000 people to government shelters.
In the Gulf, Shell has been taking workers off oil rigs.
There's a tornado watch up across areas of south Texas, where Hurricane Dolly is moving ashore.
The storm could drop 15 inches of rain in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Officials are concerned about severe flooding that could cause levees to burst.
"The storm has really started to get stronger here at the center," KPRC meteorologist Anthony Yanez said. "The other thing we're seeing is the outer rain bands. All along, the greatest convection of the storm has been to the north of the dirty side of the system."
At last report, the center of the storm was 30 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, moving at 7 mph. The coast is already being hit with wind and heavy rain.
An emergency manager in Cameron County, Johnny Cavazos, said if Dolly follows the same path as Hurricane Beulah in 1967, "the levees are not going to hold that much water."
Officials are urging people to move away from the levees.
A hurricane warning is in effect in Texas from Brownsville to Corpus Christi, and in Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from north of Corpus Christi to San Luis Pass.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has declared 14 South Texas counties disaster areas, allowing state resources to be used to send equipment and emergency workers to the areas.
Texas Army National Guard troops are staged in Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
Hurricane Dolly Makes Landfall In S. Texas
Storm Now Category 2
POSTED: 3:03 am CDT July 23, 2008
UPDATED: 1:12 pm CDT July 23, 2008
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- Forecasters said Hurricane Dolly has made landfall near South Padre Island in Texas.
Dolly is a Category 2 storm with top sustained winds near 100 mph.
The storm has forced thousands of people on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border into shelters.
Heavy rains and high winds from the storm collapsed an apartment roof, blown over signs and cut power to thousands of customers.
Landfall is when a storm's center crosses the coastline, but it does not necessarily indicate where the worst weather is.
Cities and counties in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas were bracing for massive flooding and levee breaks.
In Brownsville, Texas, palm trees were leaning and small debris was being strewn across the all-but empty streets.
An emergency management official in Cameron County, Texas, said there are nearly 2,000 people in six shelters in the county.
In Hidalgo County, Texas, a little bit farther inland, six shelters holding about 900 people were open. People living in low-lying areas were encouraged to go to shelters.
Mexican soldiers were making a last-minute attempt to rescue people at the mouth of the Rio Grande. They've been using an inflatable raft to rescue at least one family trapped in their home.
Officials in Mexico plan to evacuate 23,000 people to government shelters.
In the Gulf, Shell has been taking workers off oil rigs.
There's a tornado watch up across areas of south Texas, where Hurricane Dolly is moving ashore.
The storm could drop 15 inches of rain in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Officials are concerned about severe flooding that could cause levees to burst.
"The storm has really started to get stronger here at the center," KPRC meteorologist Anthony Yanez said. "The other thing we're seeing is the outer rain bands. All along, the greatest convection of the storm has been to the north of the dirty side of the system."
At last report, the center of the storm was 30 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, moving at 7 mph. The coast is already being hit with wind and heavy rain.
An emergency manager in Cameron County, Johnny Cavazos, said if Dolly follows the same path as Hurricane Beulah in 1967, "the levees are not going to hold that much water."
Officials are urging people to move away from the levees.
A hurricane warning is in effect in Texas from Brownsville to Corpus Christi, and in Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from north of Corpus Christi to San Luis Pass.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has declared 14 South Texas counties disaster areas, allowing state resources to be used to send equipment and emergency workers to the areas.
Texas Army National Guard troops are staged in Houston, Austin and San Antonio.