Hurricane Dolly lashed the Texas coast on Wednesday, coming ashore near South Padre Island with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
The Category 2 storm's high winds and heavy rains forced thousands of people on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border into shelters. Thousands of homes lost power in the Brownsville area and strong winds partially collapsed the roof of an apartment building on South Padre Island.
Forecasters said the storm could bring as much as 15 inches of rain in some areas, and Texas officials warned residents that the levees of the Rio Grande might not be able to hold the water. But those fears diminished when the storm came ashore 35 miles north of the border.
"The levees are holding up just fine," said Cameron County Emergency Management Coordinator Johnny Cavazos. "There is no indication right now that they are going to crest."
There were no evacuations ordered for the region, but emergency shelters were set up inland and many reported they were operating at full capacity. Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated 1,200 National Guard personnel and six Black Hawk helicopters to deliver emergency supplies where needed.
Thunderstorms were attributed to Dolly as far away as Houston, 400 miles away.
From NPR and wire reports.
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