Tropical Storm Dolly Heavy Rains in South Texas "Tornadoes Possible"

Since hitting the coast Wednesday afternoon with 100 mph winds, Dolly has delivered 6-8 inches of rain to the deep south of Texas and northern Mexico, and forecasters said isolated areas could receive 20 inches of rain.

South Texas was rife with reports of flooded roads, downed power lines and damaged buildings. The main highway linking McAllen to Brownsville was littered with downed palms and fallen marquees. The roofs on several businesses looked like they had been peeled back with giant can openers. But there were no immediate reports of deaths and few reports of major injuries. More than 100,000 people were without power in South Texas by Wednesday evening, according to American Electric Power. Officials said repairs could take days. It appeared that Texas escaped the kind of destruction that occurred in Louisiana and Mississippi from Hurricane Katrina nearly three years ago.

Dolly knocked out power to more than 52,600 residents in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties. Power also was out on South Padre Island. Perry said National Guard troops were conducting search and rescue efforts in border colonias, low-lying poor communities without municipal services like sewer and water. Along with the troops, six helicopters, 50 vehicles and four dozen boats had been deployed.

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.

Dolly is forecast to weaken to a tropical rainstorm by Thursday morning as it encounters the Sierra Madre mountains. However, heavy rain in the Sierra Madre could result in devastating flash flooding which could reach heavily populated Monterrey, Mexico. With the eye of the storm forecast to track across northern Mexico, the Rio Grande Valley will be in the path of the strongest effects on the northern edge of the storm.There are approximately 1.2 million residents on the U.S. side of the valley. The major cities in the valley, including Brownsville, McAllen and Harlingen, will be hit hard by the rain and hurricane-strength winds.

FEMA is working closely with the state of Texas to identify resources and pre-position supplies if needed post landfall. FEMA has deployed the National Urban Search and Rescue System and an Incident Management Assistance Team to Texas to support potential response efforts. Other federal resources and national response teams have also pre- deployed to the state to assist the state in its response to the storm,

An emergency management official in Cameron County, Texas, says there are nearly 2,000 people in six shelters in the county. In Hidalgo County, a little bit farther inland, six shelters holding about 900 people are open. People living in low-lying areas are being encouraged to come to shelters.

MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) — Mexican soldiers made a last-minute attempt to rescue people at the mouth of the Rio Grande early Wednesday as Hurricane Dolly's leading edge hit the Gulf coast. Matamoros spokeswoman Leticia Montalvo said soldiers battled storm-charged waves in an inflatable raft to rescue at least one family trapped in a home at the mouth of the Rio Grande, while others further inland were still refusing to go to government shelters. "These are people who did not want to leave, and now they are in trouble. We don't have much information," Montalvo said.

The storm's leading edge is blowing down signs, damaging an apartment complex and knocking out electricity to thousands. In Brownsville, palm trees are leaning and small debris is being strewn across the all-but empty streets.

The National Hurricane Center said Dolly could approach Category 2 strength, meaning wind speeds of at least 96 mph, when it reaches the coastline later Wednesday.

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Dolly spun into a hurricane Tuesday, heading toward the U.S.-Mexico border and the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley, where officials feared heavy rains could cause massive flooding and levee breaks.

In Mexico, Tamaulipas Gov. Eugenio Hernandez said officials are planning to evacuate 23,000 people to government shelters in Matamoros, Soto La Marina and San Fernando.

..DOLLY DUMPING HEAVY RAINS AS IT MOVES FARTHER INLAND... AT 10 AM CDT...1500 UTC...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM BROWNSVILLE TO PORT ARANSAS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 1000 AM CDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM DOLLY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 99.3 WEST...VERY NEAR LAREDO TEXAS. DOLLY IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR... AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL DISSIPATION IN A DAY OR SO. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM FROM THE CENTER. THE WEATHER STATION AT HEBBRONVILLE RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 38 MPH...62 KM/HR...WITH A PEAK GUST OF 52 MPH...84 KM/HR. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 992 MB...29.29 INCHES. DOLLY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES...OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS AND NORTHEASTERN MEXICO. THESE RAINS ARE VERY LIKELY TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TODAY.

Tropical storm Dolly has claimed 12 lives in Guatemala. Ten children and their parents died when mudslides triggered by heavy downpours buried their home.

Tropical Storm Dolly drenched the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday and was poised to plunge into the Gulf of Mexico, where it could grow into a hurricane on a preliminary track that would carry it near the Texas-Mexico border.

The storm's headed slowly to the west-northwest and will likely strengthen over open water, potentially reaching hurricane status on Tuesday, the NWA said.

ATLANTA, July 20 (Reuters) - The fourth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season formed in the western Caribbean Sea on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.