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South Texas Cleaning Up After Dolly

By ELIZABETH WHITE
,
AP
posted: 74 DAYS 14 HOURS AGO
comments: 495
filed under: National News, Hurricane News
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HARLINGEN, Texas (July 24) - Residents across south Texas slogged through knee-deep muddy waters, tiptoed around downed power lines and dug through debris Thursday, but were thankful that Hurricane Dolly didn't pack the wallop they had feared.
Downed power lines remained the greatest danger, and South Texas officials urged people to stay home one more day "unless it's life or death." One person in Matamoros, Mexico, died from electrocution after walking past a power line on the ground.

Dolly Leaves a Mess

Hotel workers discuss damage in South Padre Island, July 24Dave Einsel, Getty Images

Hurricane Dolly didn't pack the punch many had feared, but the storm did leave a trail of destruction. Here, hotel workers survey the damage in South Padre Island, Texas, Thursday.

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Tropical Storm Dolly: Location and Track | Projected Path | Watches and Warnings
Residents picked up the pieces of their houses and businesses blown apart by the storm. But as dry skies spread over the region, they were struck by relief that the storm didn't take many lives. Even so, there will be substantial cleanup: President Bush declared 15 counties in South Texas a disaster area to release federal funding to them, and insurance estimators put the losses at $750 million.
By Thursday afternoon, with the storm's maximum sustained winds blowing around 35 mph, forecasters downgraded Dolly to a tropical depression. The storm was expected to break up by Friday, and was centered about 35 miles south of Eagle Pass at 5 p.m. EDT Thursday, when the National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory on the storm.
Rain and wind from Dolly probably doomed much of the cotton crop in Texas' Rio Grande Valley. About 92,000 acres of cotton in the region was awaiting harvest but driving rains and high winds knocked bolls to the ground, making them unsalvageable, Texas Agri Life Extension agent Rod Santa Ana said. Sorghum acres damaged by rain in early July also could be doomed, he said.
After crashing ashore on South Padre Island midday Wednesday, Dolly meandered north, leaving towns on the northern tip of the Rio Grande Valley with a surprise. Officials had feared the Rio Grande levees would breach, but the storm veered from its predicted path and they held strong.
The storm dumped as much as a foot of rain in places and brought 100 mph winds.
A remnant on Thursday blew several roofs off houses and businesses on San Antonio's south side, about 300 miles northwest of where the storm made landfall. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
An aerial view of the Rio Grande Valley showed fields forming a checkerboard pattern, some inundated with water, others spared. Traffic was moving again in most places, but some residential areas were surrounded by floodwaters and debris was strewn across lawns.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who flew over the area Thursday with Sen. John Cornyn, noted possible flooding over the next five days.
"This event is not over by any sense of the imagination," Perry said.
Steve McCraw, the state's homeland security director, said more than a quarter-million people in the region were still without power late Thursday.
While the area near the border that expected the bulk of the storm was counting its blessings, residents farther north were wondering what hit them. In the La Quinta section of San Benito, people waded through waist-deep brown water with a few belongings wrapped in plastic bags held high.
Juan Delgado Jr.'s pitbulls carefully perched themselves on a table and a recliner to stay above water three to four feet deep.

Atlantic Season Storm Names 2008

satellite image shows a hurricane in 2006NASA / AP

Above, a 2006 hurricane is photographed by a crew member on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Arthur, Bertha and Cristobal are the first three Atlantic storm names for 2008. Click through the gallery to see the rest of the list.

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"I've lived here since '87, and this is probably the eighth flood we've had here," said Delgado, who lent his boat out for salvage missions to neighbors' homes.
In Harlingen, a group of residents battled a flaming live power line lying on the driveway between two homes. Neighbors rushed to bang on doors and call for people to get out.
"Stay out of the water!" a man yelled at children playing in the muddy mix. But in a sign of returning normalcy, a fire truck arrived minutes after a call to 911.
On South Padre Island, which endured the worst of Dolly's wrath, power could be out for another day, said town spokeswoman Melissa Zamora. A 9 p.m. curfew was set for the second night in row.
Local officials said no buildings were in danger of collapse, but damage was widespread to hotels and other businesses. There were no dollar estimates on damage yet.
Residents and visitors recalled a wild ride. Bubba Zittle, 22, rode out Hurricane Dolly with five friends on a 65-foot double-decker party boat moored at the south end of South Padre Island.
"But we weren't partying," Zittle said. "It was throwing us around like a beanbag." The thrashing began at 9 a.m. and eased up at 8 p.m., he said, with eight-foot waves crashing over the bow.
North Texas residents Becky Wacasey and her husband, Charles, rode out the storm in their room at the South Padre Island Beach Resort hotel, which had many of its sliding glass doors blown out. Drapes flapped in the gulf breeze, and it appeared some tourists had barricaded broken windows by standing box springs in the openings.
"We kept saying 'where's the eye?' because that's when we were going to leave but the eye never came," Wacasey said.
Across the Rio Grande in Matamoros, Mexico, power was restored to large parts of Brownsville's sister city, and Tamaulipas Gov. Eugenio Hernandez said the lights would be on by the end of the day.
Gas stations and factories reopened as about 2,500 police and soldiers patrolled to prevent looting while many of the 13,000 people who had taken shelter returned home.
The last hurricane to hit the U.S. was the fast-forming Humberto, which came ashore in southeast Texas last September.
The busiest part of the Atlantic hurricane season is usually in August and September. So far this year, there have been four named storms, two of which became hurricanes. Federal forecasters predict a total of 12 to 16 named storms and six to nine hurricanes this season.
Associated Press writers Christopher Sherman in San Benito, Betsey Blaney in Lubbock and Mark Walsh in Matamoros, Mexico, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-07-19 11:25:12
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STaRgAzEr33154

12:37 AMJul 24 2008

NORLEI2 03:25 PMJul 22 2008 what all the american indian killed slaved raped by white colonials peice of trash that nobodt wanted in their own country, anyway one day all of that will be washed away also a matter of time cause noting last forever ,and you also came as imigrant you don`t belong here love you anyway, just want to remind you who you are ciao@@@@ I'm American Indian..what does your comment have to do with disasters? hhhmmm absolutely nothing..

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STaRgAzEr33154

12:33 AMJul 24 2008

RHoudaille 02:27 PMJul 22 2008 Why are troops being put on alert? Oh, I forget the USA operates as a military state@@@@@ every state has NG units..and they are all trained for disasters..the governors of the states can call the troops up to not only help with disasters, but also maintain peace with local law enforcement officers

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L0B0CHIC0

09:29 PMJul 23 2008

SAY ESSE, wear is dee hurry cane par tee at?

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(1)

L0B0CHIC0

09:21 PMJul 23 2008

I live in edinburg and I am lloking for some innertubes an some number ten tubs so that we can float and ice the beer in as we go tubing down Closner and University past the courthouse in downtown Edinburg Hurrican Party eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw

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DLPEARCE7377

06:32 PMJul 22 2008

yukyuniji - Let's make this a bit more clear. The NG is under the control of the Govenor of the state. They have always been the first deployed in state emergencies where either rescue or legal jurisdiction is or may be required. If Active Military is required it must come at the request of the Govenor to the President. Per the Consitution. Through an emergency declaration that would include martial law. Thus why the NG is under the control of the states.

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MariluJann

05:38 PMJul 22 2008

Being from South Texas where we are in a serious drought. HELLO DOLLY!! Welcome and bring lots of Rain with you.

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Momayjo

05:02 PMJul 22 2008

GRAB UR BUTTS AND HANG ON LOL

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yukyuniji

04:24 PMJul 22 2008

Deanepark 04:15 PMJul 22 2008 I don't mean this to sound unkind but I have one question for all those living in huricane prone areas: What do you do with all that plywood and all those flashlights after the hurricane passes? Anyone ever stop to think that it might be a good idea to hang on to some of that stuff so you'd be ready for the next one? Just asking.>>>>>>Flashlights are put back in drawers and closets, plywood is taken back out to the shed or garage. The plywood may or may not be saved for the next hurricane, it'll probably get used in some home improvement project.

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yukyuniji

04:19 PMJul 22 2008

RHoudaille 02:27 PMJul 22 2008 Why are troops being put on alert? Oh, I forget the USA operates as a military state.>>>>>>>because one of the things about the last hurricane disaster we had was people placing blame on the fact that the National Guard hadn't been called out in time. So this time around- even though the media is blowing this Tropical Storm with "the possibility of turning into a category one hurricane" way out of proportion- they're assembling the National Guard now, in case they're needed, so that one less thing to place blame upon.

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Deanepark

04:15 PMJul 22 2008

I don't mean this to sound unkind but I have one question for all those living in huricane prone areas: What do you do with all that plywood and all those flashlights after the hurricane passes? Anyone ever stop to think that it might be a good idea to hang on to some of that stuff so you'd be ready for the next one? Just asking.

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