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Dolly shifts path, sparing levees
By Christopher Sherman
Associated Press
Jul 24, 2008
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Hurricane Dolly barreled into South Texas yesterday, lashing the coast with winds up to 100 m.p.h. and dumping heavy rain that flooded some low-lying areas but spared levees along the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley. Authorities had feared that the first hurricane to hit the United States since September could produce up to 20 inches of rain in some areas, possibly breaching leeves. But shortly before moving ashore, the then-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."
Dolly was downgraded to a tropical storm late last night, and authorities in Texas and Mexico were watching for flooding. 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 50,000 customers were left without power.
Most of the destruction from wind was on the resort island of South Padre Island, where the hurricane's center came ashore and 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 for hours but was reopened late yesterday.
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.
Five to 12 inches of rain had fallen in Brownsville's Cameron County by evening and an additional three to seven inches were 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, 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 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.
At 8 p.m. yesterday, the storm's center was about 60 miles northwest of Brownsville and moving west-northwest at about 10 m.p.h.
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, sector spokesman Dan Doty said. At one checkpoint on U.S. Highway 77, smugglers were caught with nearly 10,000 pounds of marijuana.
The U.S. Census Bureau said about 1.5 million Texans could feel the storm's effects. Gov. Rick Perry declared 14 counties disaster areas.
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