Hurricane Dolly weakens as it heads through Texas

• By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
• Published: Jul 23, 2008 - UPDATED: 3:07 p.m.

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3:07 p.m. update

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Hurricane Dolly slammed into the South Texas coast Wednesday with punishing rain and winds of 100 mph, blowing down signs, damaging an apartment complex and knocking out power to thousands before weakening over land.

Local officials' greatest fear - that the levees holding back the Rio Grande would fail and cause massive flooding - eased when Dolly meandered 35 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border just before coming ashore on South Padre Island as a Category 2 storm. About two hours later, Dolly's winds slowed to 95 mph, and the storm was downgraded to a Category 1.

The storm defied forecasts that it would swarm the mouth of the Rio Grande, pushing its current upstream and causing massive flooding on both sides of the border.

Most of the destruction was on South Padre Island, a beach resort town on a barrier island off the Texas coast. Part of an apartment complex roof collapsed, and a hotel sign blew off. The causeway linking the island to the mainland was closed.

Forecasters warned of up to 12 inches of rain that could produce flooding in the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley. Up to 20 inches was predicted for isolated areas. Thunderstorms were attributed to Dolly as far away as Houston, 400 miles up the Texas coastline.

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1:35 p.m. update

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Forecasters say 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 have 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.

Forecasters warned of up to 15 inches of rain that could produce flooding and breach levees in the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley. Thunderstorms were attributed to Dolly as far away as Houston, 400 miles up the Texas coastline.