Hurricane Dolly Lingers Off Texas, Winds Reach 100 mph

MIAMI, FL (AHN) - Hurricane Dolly lingers off south Texas, 30 miles off Brownsville, with 100 mph winds and higher gusts.

Dolly's forward motion has slowed to 7 mph, with the hurricane expected to arrive in Brownsville within a couple of hours.

The National Hurricane Center's (NHC) 11 a.m. advisory said it expected the category one storm to make landfall at about noon, local time.

Hundreds of National Guard troops are standing by in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. They anticipate coastal damage to levies due to 17-foot waves, high water and a 4- to 6-foot tidal surge.

The hurricane is lingering 30 miles south of Brownsville.

NHC predicts heavy rain and high waves as far east as Houston and New Orleans.

Wednesday evening, Dolly is expected to become a tropical storm after it moves inland. A tropical storm warning is in effect from north of Corpus Christi to San Luis Pass.

Thousands of tourists and residents have evacuated Padre Island and Brownsville. Officials in Brownsville, however, have not issued a mandatory evacuation notice.

NHC has issued warnings for 15-inches of rain on the Texas coast.

Dolly is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 6 to 10-inches of rain, with isolated amounts of 15 inches over southeastern Texas and northeastern Mexico during the next few days. Widespread flooding is expected, along with a coastal storm surge with flooding of 4- to 6 feet above normal.