Hurricane watch issued for parts of states of Tamaulipas and Texas

[RB TexLa]

Hurricane watch issued for parts of Texas, Mexico 10:57 AM CT

10:57 AM CDT on Monday, July 21, 2008
Associated Press

MIAMI — A hurricane watch was issued for parts of the Texas and Mexico coasts Monday as Tropical Storm Dolly entered the Gulf of Mexico.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said the watch in Texas extended from Brownsville to Port O'Connor. The government of Mexico also issued a hurricane watch from Rio San Fernando northward to the U.S. border.


At 11 a.m. EDT, the center of the storm was about 55 miles north-northeast of Progreso, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph.





http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/072108dnnathurricane.78e5adac.html

[ProdigalJunkMail]

1. not that a CAT1 is a wuss of a storm or anything

but it looks like this one will not have time to make it above CAT1. moving quickly as it is...but if it decides to slow...then it is anyone's guess!

sP

[hedgehog]

3. That's the one problem with labelling the strength of the storm.

People tend to forget that a Category 1 hurricane is still a HURRICANE!

[RB TexLa]

4. And there is a good possibility of it gaining strength in the Gulf

[ProdigalJunkMail]

6. NHC is forecasting a CAT1 at max due to its speed

across the water and not having enough time to build a big punch...we shall see!

sP

[ProdigalJunkMail]

5. 'tis true...

didn't like the couple of 'low power' hurricanes i have been close to...my dad called them low power...i laughed...the power of nature even in our lowest categorization of it is astounding!

sP

[hedgehog]

7. Maybe they shoud call them Cat 10 Tropical storms!

[ProdigalJunkMail]

10. never underestimate the human desire to label things

in new and confusing ways ;-)

sP

[thewiseguy]

9. Actually this one will slow down

Its not forecasted to hit until Wednesday afternoon.

There is a very good chance it could be a Cat 3 when it hits in my opinion.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. yes, she will slow down...

but the NHC still gives little chance of much above CAT1...but these things can be finicky!


http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/143233.shtml?table#contents

sP

[thewiseguy]

13. Yes they always do that. Its got more than 2 days to gain 40 mph

Over the warm waters of gulf. That can happen in such a short amount of time. I will be very surprised if this was a Cat 1 when it hits.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

18. looks like Brownsville is going to be a little windy and we today

but it looks like CAT1 is all they will have to deal with! And that is good news (well, about as good as we could have hoped for). Brownsville to Corpus Christi...here comes Dolly!

sP

[ProdigalJunkMail]

20. AS YOU SAID!

exploded over the last few hours...now 100mph...hang on to your butts!

sP

[Liberal In Texas]

2. Oh boy, here we go.

I wonder if my son and his wife who live in Houston will be staying with us again this season like they did during Rita.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT04/refresh/AL0408_PROB34_F120_sm2+gif/143233.gif

[snooper2]

8. Well, we need rain in North Texas..

:)




GOBAMA!

[RB TexLa]

11. Doesn't look like it's going to get any to us, unless it turns to the north from

it's current path.

[alarimer]

14. I have started working on hurricane prep at work.

Which at this point only involves backing up files, putting gas in the vehicles and boats. For a Cat 2 storm, we would be moving boats and trucks to Beeville which is inland. They might be needed for the cleanup or for search and rescue (in the event of a bad storm like Katrina). Cleaning out the freezer (they shut off the electricity and what we normally keep in there would stink to high heaven).
Etc, etc.

I am trying not to worry too much about my own place. I have no renter's insurance but only wind damage is covered anyway (any water damage is assumed to be from flooding, even if it isn't). BUT most of what I have is not worth saving anyway so I really don't care. All I care about is expensive electronic equipment and my cat.

[hedgehog]

15. Dumb question from the Great Lakes, but what do the different categories

mean to you? I'm thinking the Category designates wind speed, but that a Cat 1 that lingers and dumps a lot of rain can do more damage (or at least a different kind of damage) than a fast moving Cat 3. Are the categories any indication of possible storm surge or other flooding?

[RB TexLa]

16. Category is maximum sustained wind speed.

[hedgehog]

17. So in theory, a Cat 1 that brings rain and flooding could be more devestating than a Cat 3?

[RB TexLa]

19. Could be all depends on the terrain, the speed the storm is moving

this one could cause up to 15 inches of rain in the valley.