Hurricane Hanna strikes Texas leaving 35,000 without power and flooding art museum as Hurricane Douglas is about to hit Hawaii
Hurricane Hanna made landfall on Texas' Padre Island on Saturday afternoon as Governor Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration for 32 counties, urging residents along Rio Grande Valley, the coastal bend, and surrounding areas to take shelter immediately.
The storm was already causing flooding, with winds of up to 90mph, as it smashed down piers and knocked out electricity for more than 35,000 residents, according to the Texas Tribune.
The first hurricane of the season, Hanna made landfall about 15 miles north of Port Mansfield, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a 5 p.m. CDT update. The Category 1 hurricane later made a second landfall in Eastern Kennedy County. A tornado warning was issued in several areas as the Art Museum of South Texas was surrounded by flood waters
Local authorities warned of 'catastrophic flooding' as more rain arrives through Saturday night and Sunday.
Hanna was expected to make landfall at the same time as Hurricane Douglas is forecast to descend on Hawaii, yet there were no reports of landfall on the island chain as of early Sunday morning eastern time.
Hurricane Douglas was 430 miles southeast of Honolulu Saturday. Maximum sustained winds decreased to about 90 mph from 105 mph a few hours earlier in the day.
On Saturday evening, President Trump said that his administration was monitoring the situation in both states.
The Art Museum of South Texas was surrounded by flood waters but the director said it had been protected
Boats in the harbor in Corpus Christi were seen under water as the hurricane brought dangerous flooding
A man takes photos of a road beginning to flood as Hurricane Hanna makes landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas, Saturday
Parts of the Bob Hall Pier were torn apart and debris swept ashore Saturday in Corpus Christi as Hurricane Hanna hit
Residents battled against the flooding as the hurricane moved further inland
Astronaut Doug Hurley tweeted this stunning picture of Hurricane Hanna from space on Saturday night
President Trump said his administration was monitoring the situation closely in both states
'My Administration is closely monitoring Hurricane Douglas off Hawaii & Hurricane Hanna, which has now made landfall in Texas,' he wrote on Twitter.
'We continue to coordinate closely with both states — listen to your emergency management officials @Hawaii_EMA & @TDEM to protect your family & property!'
As Hanna hit, parts of the Bob Hall per in Corpus Christi crashed dramatically with the weight of the storm surge as debris was swept into the beach.
The storm lashed the Texas shoreline with wind gusts, rain and storm surge, and even threatened to bring possible tornadoes to a part of the country trying to cope with a spike in coronavirus cases.
At the marina, People's Street lay under water as local residents gathered to take pictures of the historic flooding levels. Several boats in the harbor were flooded with water and began to sink with the weight of the waves.
The local fire department was called at around 8pm to respond to reports of people trapped on a sinking boat, according to reporter Anna Rice.
Later, video and pictures showed the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi surrounded by flood waters. The flood waters appeared to be streaming into the ground floor level of the building and rising but Art Museum Director Sarah Morgan later confirmed to Caller Today that it had been protected by sandbags.
She added that more sandbags have been added to the floor and the museum will take the situation hour by hour.
The Texas State Aquarium also announced that it will be closed Sunday due to damage caused by Hurricane Hanna.
As tens of thousands lost electricity, the Kleberg County Sheriff's Office reported that its non-emergency lines were down.
The storm continued to move inland after it hit but edged further south toward Mexico.
Tornado warnings were issued as it moved inward and residents were urged again to take shelter immediately.
As of Saturday evening, tornado warnings had been issued in Kleberg County, Portland, Sinton, Taft, Premont, Realitos, Concepcion and Bishop County.
Hanna is forecast to weaken as it moves inland over south Texas tonight and into northeastern Mexico on Sunday, but it could still spawn powerful tornadoes on the coastal plains.
Local officials on Saturday asked residents to stay home and ride out the storm, but to also be mindful of the coronavirus pandemic.
Concerns were raised for the Art Museum of South Texas as waters surrounded the ground floor
Tides raise and flood the street in the Laguna Shores neighborhood after Hanna made landfall south of Corpus Christi
The National Weather Service warned of a large band of very heavy rain still on its way to Texas Saturday night
A tornado watch remains in place in several south Texas counties through to Sunday morning
Hanna is forecast to move further south into Mexico as it continues inland
'As Hurricane Hanna approaches, the Lone Star State is taking swift action to support the communities in the path of the storm,' Abbott said.
'We are closely monitoring the situation and working with local officials to help ensure they have the resources they need to keep Texans safe.
'I urge Texans in the region to take all necessary precautions and follow the guidance of local officials. I ask our fellow Texans to keep these communities in their prayers as they brace for this storm.'
Former Vice President Joe Biden was among those to send their support to Texas as the hurricane hit.
'As Hurricane Hanna makes landfall, Jill and I are sending our prayers to the people of South Texas,' he wrote on Twitter.
'We must ensure that affected residents get the support they need — and get it quickly. If you are in an impacted region, please heed the advice of local officials and seek shelter.'
Steady rain fell Saturday in Corpus Christi and the winds got stronger. The main hazard from Hanna was expected to be flash flooding.
Forecasters said Hanna could bring 6 to 12 inches of rain through Sunday night - with isolated totals of 18 inches - in addition to coastal swells that could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Flooding surrounded the popular Selena Memorial statue in Corpus Christi on Saturday night
The Bob Hall per in Corpus Christi crashed dramatically with the weight of the storm as debris was swept into the beach
Residents in Corpus Christi came out to document the historic flooding in the city's marina
Tides rise at Bob Hall Pier as Hurricane Hanna approaches land in Corpus Christi, Texas on Saturday, July 25, 2020.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration for 32 counties earlier Saturday afternoon
Chris Birchfield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Brownsville, said residents needed to remain alert. Hanna's winds were expected to weaken Saturday night, but the storm´s real threat remained heavy rainfall.
'We´re not even close to over at this point,' Birchfield said. 'We´re still expecting catastrophic flooding.'
Judge Barbara Canales, Nueces County's top elected official, said officials were highly concerned about storm surge that was already moving inland.
Live webcam footage showed waves sweeping over popular Whitecap Beach near Corpus Christi hours before the hurricane was expected to make landfall.
First responders in Corpus Christi proactively placed barricades near intersections to have them ready to go if streets began to flood, McComb said.
Coastal states scrambled this spring to adjust emergency hurricane plans to account for the virus, and Hanna loomed as the first big test.
South Texas officials' plans for any possible rescues, shelters and monitoring of the storm will have the pandemic in mind and incorporate social distancing guidelines and mask wearing.
Gov. Abbott said Saturday that some sheltering would take place in hotel rooms so people could be separated.
'We cannot allow this hurricane to lead to a more catastrophically deadly event by stoking additional spread of COVID-19 that could lead to fatalities,' Abbott said.
Various resources and personnel to respond to the storm were on standby across the state, including search-and-rescue teams and aircraft. Mobile teams that can continue testing for COVID-19 were also being deployed.
Abbott said he has issued a disaster declaration for 32 counties in Texas and had asked the federal government to approve a similar declaration.
On Saturday evening, a hurricane warning remained in effect for Port Mansfield to Mesquite Bay, which is north of Corpus Christi, and a tropical storm warning was in effect from Port Mansfield south to Barra el Mezquital, Mexico, and from Mesquite Bay north to High Island, Texas.
Meanwhile, Pacific Ocean hurricane Douglas continued to move toward toward Hawaii on Saturday.
President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for Hawaii because of the hurricane, directing federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts.
Douglas was expected to be near the main Hawaiian Islands late Saturday night and will move over parts of the state Sunday and Monday. A hurricane warning was in effect for Oahu County.
As of mid-afternoon on Saturday, the hurricane was about 400 miles east of the Hawaiian Islands
The storm is expected to reach Hawaii sometime within the next 24 hours, according to the latest data
The Category 2 hurricane is currently packing wind gusts of up to 105mph, according to meteorologists
The National Weather Service forecasts Douglas will weaken as it passes over cooler waters and encounters wind shear closer to the Hawaiian Islands.
Meteorologists predict it will be near-hurricane strength as it nears the Hawaiian Islands Saturday and Sunday.
The storm was about 475 miles southeast of Honolulu Saturday.
'The current path of Hurricane Douglas is going to be really close to the islands and it may make landfall,' National Weather Service meteorologist Vanessa Almanza said Saturday.
'So at this moment, we still don't know if there's going to be a direct hit. Either way, impacts will be felt.'
'Douglas is continuing a gradual, slow, weakening trend, which in itself is good news, but the bad news is that this hurricane is going to come very close to the islands even as it´s weakening,' said Robert Ballard, the science and operations officer at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. '
This Saturday infrared satellite image made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Douglas approximately 500 miles east of Hawaii at 4:10 a.m. HST.
A worker puts reinforcements on boarded storefront windows in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu Saturday as Hurricane Douglas approaches. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for Hawaii on Saturday because of Douglas, directing federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts
A woman walks past boarded storefronts being boarded up in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu as Hurricane Douglas approaches. The storm was about 475 miles southeast of Honolulu Saturday and continued to weaken
And we do expect significant impacts as it makes its point of closest approach or possible landfall as it comes through.'
Hawaii Gov. David Ige said officials anticipate rain, wind and storm surge on east-fasting shores.
'We know that it is weakening as it approaches, but it still will have significant impact on each island,' Ige said at a news conference.
And back in the Atlantic, the remnants of Tropical Storm Gonzalo were expected to move westward across the southern Caribbean for the next couple of days.
Gonzalo had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and was forecast to bring 1 to 2 inches of rain. Watches or warnings were no longer in effect.
Hurricane Hanna strikes Texas leaving 35,000 without power and flooding art museum as Hurricane Douglas is about to hit Hawaii
![Hurricane Hanna strikes Texas leaving 35,000 without power and flooding art museum as Hurricane Douglas is about to hit Hawaii]()
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July 26, 2020
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