The damage in Dolly's wake

Field conditions that could generously be described as flooded caused the postponement of the Coyotes' series against Alexandria scheduled for Friday and tonight. The Coyotes and the ULB haven't announced a makeup date for any of the games. Hurricane Dolly has also caused a jumbling of the league schedule, with the Coyotes traveling on Sunday to Amarillo to face the Dillas instead of to Harlingen.

Risk Management Solutions, a catastrophe risk management company, said Thursday it estimates insured losses from Hurricane Dolly will be less than $750 million.

The figure includes wind, flood and storm surge damage caused by the category 2 storm, which hit southwest Texas near the Mexico border Wednesday. It also includes crop damage and business interruption from power outages. About 500,000 people are estimated to be affected by the storm.

As of 9:30 a.m., about 33 percent of American Electric Power's grid - the primary electricity provider in Hidalgo County - remained down, affecting more than 61,000 people.

And authorities had only just begun to gain control over several feet of water that had spilled over roadways and flooded homes in the Delta region.

But despite the continuing problems, attitudes among emergency management officials were markedly optimistic - a stark contrast from the hours before the Category 1 hurricane hit the area Wednesday evening.

"The water is receding," said Hidalgo County spokeswoman Cari Lambrecht. "More roadways are cleared, more people are returning home and more businesses are reopening."

Emergency responders hoped to move a food and water distribution point out to the area Friday, and went door-to-door to warn residents to boil all water and to keep children out of the flooded areas.

The commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services - David A. Lakey - was also due to visit the county Friday over concerns that bacteria in flood waters could cause problems.

Standing water left in pools across the region could also pose an increase risk for mosquitoes and insect-borne diseases.

Dolly was nevertheless expected to leave 200mm to 300mm of rain over parts of south Texas and northeast Mexico, the center said, adding that the rain was “very likely to cause widespread flooding.”

“Dolly is expected to move west-northwest along the Texas-Mexico border,” it warned. “Additional 8cm to 13cm rainfall amounts are possible over south Texas and northeastern Mexico over the next 24 hours. The higher terrain of northeastern Mexico could receive heavier totals. This event will likely cause widespread flooding.”

A tropical depression is designated when the first appearance of a lowered pressure and organized circulation in the center of the thunderstorm complex occurs. A surface pressure chart will reveal at least one closed isobar to reflect this lowering.

More than 200,000 customers of American Electric Power Co's Texas unit, which serves the affected area, were without power on Thursday morning.

TxDOT reports of flood conditions at the following locations:

• US 281 Frontage Roads from US 83/US 281 Interchange in Pharr to FM 490, north of Edinburg
• Business 83 east of FM 2556 (Joe Ed Road) in La Feria
• SH 107 from US 281 in Edinburg to Hidalgo/Cameron Line
• FM 1925 (Monte Cristo Road) at FM 2993 (North Conway) north of Alton
• FM 490 Eastbound and Westbound from US 281 to FM 493
• FM 490 Eastbound and Westbound from FM 2844 to 2.5 Miles east of FM 2844 in Northwestern Hidalgo County
• FM 493 Northbound and Southbound from SH 186 to FM 490
• FM 681Northbound and Southbound from FM 490 to FM 1017 in Northwestern Hidalgo County
• FM 681 Northbound and Southbound from FM 1925 to FM2058 in Northwestern Hidalgo County
• Intersection of FM 2058 and 1 mile south of FM 490/681Northbound and Southbound in Northwestern Hidalgo County

TxDOT says the following roads are closed to traffic:

• US 83 from FM 1425 to FM 506 in the La Feria Area due to flooding Detour: Eastbound Motorists need to exit FM 1015, head south to Business 83, east on Business 83 to FM 800, then north to US 83 Expressway.  For westbound motorists the detour will be the same in reverse (exit FM 800 to Business 83, and north to FM 1015)
• US 83 Eastbound Frontage Road from FM 1015 to Mile 2W in the Mid-Valley due to flooding
• US 83 Westbound Frontage Road from Mile 1E to Mile 2E in the Mid-Valley due to flooding
• Intersection of US 83 and Cesar Chavez Road in Alamo due to large tank obstructing intersection
• Highway 100 north of the South Padre Island Convention Center due to flooding

Dolly was downgraded to a tropical storm late on Wednesday and remained at that strength as it moved inland, dumping enormous amounts of rain on south Texas and northeast Mexico and with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kmh). It was expected to weaken further to a tropical depression later on Thursday.