Hurricane Dolly strengthens near Texas/Mexico coast

The storm's maximum winds increased to about 85 miles per hour (140 kph) over warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
The Miami-based center forecast further strengthening and said Dolly could approach Category 2 intensity when it makes landfall.

While still a low-grade storm, some damage to roofing and windows, and considerable damage to trees, mobile homes and piers can be expected.

The storm's predicted landfall and strength are unlikely to jeopardize sensitive offshore drilling rigs and production platforms in the U.S. and Mexican waters of the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. crude oil prices hit 6-month lows before recovering.

The National Hurricane Center has said Dolly is unlikely to become a major hurricane prior to landfall, but could dump as much as 15 inches (38 cm) of rain on South Texas and northeastern Mexico in coming days.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), Dolly was 65 miles (105 km) east-southeast of the border town of Brownsville, Texas, where it was due to come ashore. A hurricane warning was in effect for the south Texas coast as far north as Corpus Christi.

Dolly intensified from a tropical storm and became the second hurricane of 2008 Atlantic storm season on Tuesday.

FLOODING POSSIBLE
Though Dolly remained the weakest category of hurricane; officials in low-lying South Texas counties are worried that torrential rains could overcome levees holding back the Rio Grande River and cause flooding. The United States has largely escaped the past two Atlantic hurricane seasons, with just one hurricane -- Humberto in November 2007 -- making landfall on its coasts.

But it was pummeled in 2004 and 2005, when a series of powerful hurricanes, including the catastrophic Katrina, ravaged Florida and the U.S. Gulf Coast.

In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry put 1,200 National Guard troops on alert and issued a disaster declaration for 14 low-lying counties in the southern part of the state, although no mandatory evacuations were ordered. Some 250 buses stood by in the inland city of San Antonio to evacuate coastal residents if needed.

In the Rio Grande Valley, Veronica Mascor was one of hundreds of volunteers filling sandbags in an attempt to keep the flooded Rio Grande out of nearby neighborhoods.

"They gave us 20 each," Mascor said. "I hope it will be enough."

Brownsville residents scurried to hammer plywood over windows and shore up their homes.

"I'm worried," said Angel Rivera, who was boarding up his home. "It's a wooden house. Can't take any flooding."

In the Mexican city of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, authorities evacuated 23,000 people from flood-prone areas and urged residents to seek temporary shelter.

"If they wish to leave for a shelter, we will gladly transport them," said Saul Hernandez, head of civil protection.

At Mexico's Playa Bagdad beach near the U.S. border, police put up road blocks to keep people away from increasing choppy waters.

Photo: Reuters