Hurricane Dolly slams South Texas, but levees hold

sara1981 · 07-23-2008, 09:45 PM

Hurricane Dolly slams South Texas, but levees hold
Hurricane Dolly slams South Texas, but levees hold - Yahoo! News

Quote:

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Hurricane Dolly barreled into South Texas on Wednesday, lashing the coast with winds up to 100 mph and dumping heavy rain that flooded some low-lying areas but spared levees along the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley.

Authorities had feared the first hurricane to hit the U.S. since last September could produce up to 20 inches of rain in some areas, possibly breaching levees in the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley. But shortly before its center came ashore, the Category 2 storm meandered 35 miles north of the border, veering away from the flood walls.

"The levees are holding up just fine," said Johnny Cavazos, emergency coordinator for Cameron County. "There is no indication right now that they are going to crest."

Although the system weakened to a Category 1 hurricane shortly after crossing the resort area of South Padre Island, officials cautioned that the danger had not passed. About 5,000 people went to public shelters in three Texas counties hit hardest by the storm.

More were expected as night fell and at least 53,000 customers were left without power.

"Hopefully people won't get stupid and go out and think the storm has passed," said Kevin Pagan, the manager of an emergency center for the three counties.

Most of the destruction from wind was on the island, where the hurricane knocked out power to thousands of homes, ripped off roofs and smashed windows.

Roads and yards were strewn with toppled trees, fences, power poles and streetlights. Business signs rolled around the streets like tumbleweeds. The causeway linking the island to the mainland was closed.

A 17-year-old boy fell from a seventh-story balcony, injuring his head, breaking his hip and fracturing his leg. The boy was being treated at an island fire station. It was not immediately known if the accident was directly caused by the storm.

As Dolly weakened Wednesday night, authorities turned to watch for flooding caused by the inches of rain being dumped across Texas and Mexico.

Between 5 and 12 inches of rain had fallen in Brownsville's Cameron County by Wednesday evening and another 3 to 7 inches was expected during the night, according to the National Weather Service. Estimates in Laguna Vista and Bayview reached 12 inches.

Small communities just north of Brownsville were hit by high winds and flooded with murky waters from the storm, including low-lying colonias, small villages of immigrants who live without sewer and water service. A family of eight had to be rescued by sheriff's deputies when floodwaters surrounded their home.

No deaths were immediately reported in Mexico, but Tamaulipas state Gov. Eugenio Hernandez said 50 neighborhoods were still in danger from flooding. About 13,000 people had taken refuge in 21 shelters, he said.

"Strong winds are no longer the problem. Now we have to worry about intense rain in the next 24 hours," Hernandez said.

Earlier in the day, Mexican soldiers made a last-minute attempt to rescue people at the mouth of the Rio Grande, using an inflatable raft to retrieve at least one family trapped in their home. Many people further inland refused to go to government shelters.

At 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday, the storm's center was about 60 miles northwest of Brownsville and moving west-northwest at about 10 mph. The storm's maximum sustained winds had weakened to about 75 mph. Forecasters expected to downgrade it to a tropical storm later Wednesday night.

Dolly spawned thunderstorms as far away as Houston, 400 miles up the coast. Tornado watches were in effect for many coastal counties between Corpus Christi and Houston.

Many Texans heading north were stopped at inland Border Patrol checkpoints, where agents opened extra lanes to ease traffic flow while still checking documentation and arresting illegal immigrants, said sector spokesman Dan Doty. At one checkpoint on U.S. 77, smugglers were caught with nearly 10,000 pounds of marijuana.

The U.S. Census Bureau said that based on Dolly's projected path, about 1.5 million Texans could feel the storm's effects. Gov. Rick Perry declared 14 south Texas counties disaster areas and sought federal disaster declarations.

As Dolly approached, oil and gas companies in the Gulf of Mexico evacuated workers from 62 production platforms and eight rigs, according to the U.S. Minerals Management Service, which monitors offshore activity.

Shell Oil, which didn't expect production to be affected by the evacuations, also secured wells and shut down operations in the Rio Grande Valley, where it primarily deals in natural gas.

The last hurricane to hit the U.S. was the fast-forming Humberto, which came ashore in South Texas last September. Dolly is the 26th hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in July since record keeping started in 1851, according to federal researchers.

The busiest part of the Atlantic hurricane season is usually in August and September. So far this year, there have been four named storms, two of which became hurricanes. Federal forecasters predict a total of 12 to 16 named storms and six to nine hurricanes this season.

Byrdie714 · 07-23-2008, 09:48 PM

Hope our friends in Texas are doing alright.

sara1981 · 07-23-2008, 09:53 PM

Hurricane Dolly downgraded to Category 1
Hurricane Dolly downgraded to Category 1 - CNN.com

Quote:

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (CNN) -- A downgraded Hurricane Dolly caused damage as it made landfall in Texas on Wednesday afternoon and brought the possibility of flooding over the next two days.

Dolly made landfall on South Padre Island, Texas, about 2 p.m. ET, tearing roofs off homes, flooding streets and sending residents scrambling for safety from wind gusts reaching 120 mph.

At least one person was injured as sustained winds up to 100 mph downed power lines and tore observation decks off homes and condos, CNN affiliate KPRC reported.

A 17-year-old fell from a seventh-story balcony, sustaining head injuries, a broken leg and a broken hip. He is alert and receiving treatment on the island while authorities wait for the first opportunity to get him to the mainland, KPRC reported.

Later in the day, sustained winds decreased to 85 miles an hour, prompting authorities to downgrade the hurricane to a Category 1.

"When we heard the first bang, I thought it was one of the air conditioners flying," said Jacqueline Bell, who lives on South Padre Island. "Then we went outside, and we saw the debris, and we saw the neighbors leaving."

A hurricane warning remained in effect for the coast of Texas from Brownsville to just south of Baffin Bay and for the northeastern coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando north to the U.S. border.

But warnings in other areas had been lifted or, as in Corpus Christi, Texas, downgraded to a tropical storm warning.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said persistent rainfall could cause flooding upstream in the Rio Grande as long as the storm stalled over the mountains of Mexico.

Meyers said it could take two days for the rainwater to flow upstream and challenge the natural levees, which were holding for now.

"The levees are holding up just fine," said Johnny Cavazos, emergency coordinator for Cameron County, The Associated Press reported. "There is no indication right now that they are going to crest."

Even before Dolly made landfall, driving rain and wind gusts from its outer rings flooded streets and threatened to pour into homes while wind gusts shattered windows on the island popular with tourists.

The 2,400 residents began bracing for the storm Tuesday night, when strong winds forced the closure of South Padre Island's causeway to the mainland. Officials said the causeway is closed any time winds reach 39 mph.

Some chose to remain on the island and wait out the storm.

Steven Murphy took shelter with his girlfriend in his 65-foot double-decker fishing boat, Murphy's Law, and hoped for the best.

Murphy, who owns a charter fishing company with his brother on the island, lived through a more powerful hurricane, where he saw boats bigger than his tossed onto land.

"I had nightmares about that last night," he said from his boat Wednesday.

He said the wind outside sounded like a tornado and added that he'd seen several items blow past the windows of his vessel.

"It's starting to tear it up real good," Murphy said.

On the mainland, people in the path of the storm stacked sandbags around their homes, nailed plywood over windows and prepared generators to keep power going in the event of a blackout.

Maribel Vallejo of Brownsville waited in line for two hours Tuesday for bags of sand.

"It's something we have to do to avoid any flooding going into our homes," she said.

Some people unknowingly traveled into the danger zone.

Pedro Martinez Sanchez was stuck in Brownsville, Texas, on Wednesday after he and his wife drove 12 hours from Veracruz, Mexico, to do some shopping.

He said he had no idea that the hurricane was coming when he scheduled the trip. He had planned to leave Wednesday but now would be stuck in a motel until the danger had passed.

Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada said that the storm downed trees and dumped 6 to 8 inches of rain but that emergency workers were ready to respond once the wind and rain died down.

Ahumada said reports that the city's levees are in danger of breaching were exaggerated.

He said it would take 20 inches of rain to top nearly all of the city's levees, which had been reinforced to federal standards or above.

"People think we're facing a Katrina," he said. "That's not the case."

More than 13,000 customers were without power in Cameron County, where Brownsville is, utility company AEP Texas told The Associated Press.

Dolly's arrival also had the military scrambling. The Navy moved 89 aircraft from its Corpus Christi post to other locations in Texas and New Mexico.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration for 14 counties before Dolly arrived. The declaration "allows the state to initiate necessary preparedness efforts," according to a statement from Perry's office.

More than two dozen state agencies and organizations, including the Red Cross, are on standby to help with evacuations and other needs.

The National Guard has set up staging areas in Houston, Austin and San Antonio, officials said. As many as 1,200 National Guardsmen have been called to help, and 700 are deployed to targeted areas.

An incident management team has been pre-positioned in South Texas, including six UH-60 helicopters, to provide support to first responders.

"We have been preparing for this kind of event for well over a year," said Col. William D. Meehan, a spokesman for Texas Military Forces.

Some people appeared to try to take advantage of what they believed would be the distraction of law enforcement.

"Often times during these type of tragic circumstances, criminal organizations try to exploit what they believe to be is a weakened position of law enforcement," Jayson Ahern, deputy commissioner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Wednesday.

Ahern said authorities stopped three groups suspected of engaging in illegal smuggling into the United States from Mexico as the hurricane approached.

One group was trying to smuggle an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 pounds of marijuana on a truck that was stopped on U.S. 77 south of Kingsville, Texas, officials said.

The other two groups were believed to be trying to smuggle in illegal immigrants, Ahern said.

Oceanblue7 · 07-23-2008, 10:06 PM

I saw that on tv, sure hope the folks are okay.

dead money · 07-24-2008, 01:05 AM

too bad dallas cant get hurricanes. Im tired of this 100+ degree shit day in and day out.

PowerON · 07-24-2008, 01:15 AM

Hurricane can be good reason to do on Earth by stir up the Gulf of Mexico to "clean up" into more clean sea.

web730 · 07-25-2008, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dead money

too bad dallas cant get hurricanes. Im tired of this 100+ degree shit day in and day out.

Yep, I hear you, man! I used to live there twice in the past then and found that it was too extremely hot in the Ft. Worth - Dallas area in the summer times... mere like a steamy oven. Forget it!

I rather live in Florida rather mild hot yet more comfortable than it's in Dallas area. We do hope for the hurricanes to pass us by to cool us down, too (esp in August). lol

So I understand why you're wishing that the hurricane(s) could reach Dallas, but at least it could be helpful by its spawning storms ahead to cool you down there.

Good luck!

PowerON · 07-25-2008, 01:02 AM

I saw wild wave at Galveston. It's so awesome. Thank to Dolly.

web730 · 07-25-2008, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PowerON

I saw wild wave at Galveston. It's so awesome. Thank to Dolly.

Whyn't you go surf?

dead money · 07-25-2008, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by web730

Yep, I hear you, man! I used to live there twice in the past then and found that it was too extremely hot in the Ft. Worth - Dallas area in the summer times... mere like a steamy oven. Forget it!

I rather live in Florida rather mild hot yet more comfortable than it's in Dallas area. We do hope for the hurricanes to pass us by to cool us down, too (esp in August). lol

So I understand why you're wishing that the hurricane(s) could reach Dallas, but at least it could be helpful by its spawning storms ahead to cool you down there.

Good luck!

im glad someone understands....

LuciaDisturbed · 07-25-2008, 12:11 PM

I was VERY soaked yesterday thanks to remnants of Hurricane Dolly...I was on my way to Walgreens to pick up my meds and was completely soaked...on my way back, I slipped and landed in MUD! As soon as I got home, I took my muddy clothes off and threw them in the tub to wash the mud off of them (I don't have enough quarters to throw them in the washing machine). The hurricane also spawned a tornado on the South side of San Antonio, and we slept through it! Scary! And lots of houses (including a Whataburger) had roofs torn off, and one house was knocked off its foundation. Trees were uprooted.

Phillips · 07-25-2008, 12:27 PM

My deaf cousin safely ... he's from between Fort worth and Dallas

07-23-2008, 10:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
Oceanblue7 Patriots Rock! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gillette Stadium Posts: 4,411 Blog Entries: 8	I saw that on tv, sure hope the folks are okay. __________________ Ps.103:12 He washes our sins away into the ocean

07-24-2008, 01:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
dead money Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,249	too bad dallas cant get hurricanes. Im tired of this 100+ degree shit day in and day out. __________________ mike matusow...or god for short.

07-24-2008, 01:15 AM	#6 (permalink)
PowerON Please don't click me! D: Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Would like to live at Fort Davis, TX Posts: 4,780 Blog Entries: 1	Hurricane can be good reason to do on Earth by stir up the Gulf of Mexico to "clean up" into more clean sea. __________________ • [Illustrator.Blog-alloon.com] • Don't shoot me! I'm only blogger!

07-25-2008, 01:02 AM	#8 (permalink)
PowerON Please don't click me! D: Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Would like to live at Fort Davis, TX Posts: 4,780 Blog Entries: 1	I saw wild wave at Galveston. It's so awesome. Thank to Dolly. __________________ • [Illustrator.Blog-alloon.com] • Don't shoot me! I'm only blogger!

07-25-2008, 12:11 PM	#11 (permalink)
LuciaDisturbed Amateur Psychiatrist Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 5,152	I was VERY soaked yesterday thanks to remnants of Hurricane Dolly...I was on my way to Walgreens to pick up my meds and was completely soaked...on my way back, I slipped and landed in MUD! As soon as I got home, I took my muddy clothes off and threw them in the tub to wash the mud off of them (I don't have enough quarters to throw them in the washing machine). The hurricane also spawned a tornado on the South side of San Antonio, and we slept through it! Scary! And lots of houses (including a Whataburger) had roofs torn off, and one house was knocked off its foundation. Trees were uprooted. __________________ We will assimilate you. Resistance is futile. We will add your distinctiveness to our Collective. Implanted left ear 10/11/06, activated 10/16/06 - Nucleus Freedom DeviantArt

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07-23-2008, 09:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Byrdie714 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pacific County, Washington Posts: 5,089	Hope our friends in Texas are doing alright.

07-25-2008, 12:27 PM	#12 (permalink)
Phillips Lets ride horses! Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Spaceship Posts: 7,192 Blog Entries: 3	My deaf cousin safely ... he's from between Fort worth and Dallas __________________ *Enjoy life today, Yesterday has past and Tomorrow may never come.*

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