2008/07/23
11:24:47 Þ.Ù
Hurricane Dolly muscled its way across the Gulf of Mexico toward the American-Mexican border, forcing the evacuation of thousands in Mexico while American oil rigs put their staff ashore and the American Navy sheltered aircraft.
Packing sustained winds of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour, the second hurricane of the season was about 205 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of the Texas border town of Brownsville, the American National Hurricane Center said.
The storm was moving northwest at 18 KPH (11 MPH), the center said in its latest update at 0000 GMT.
"This motion is expected to continue until landfall of the center of Dolly along the coast of northeastern Mexico or extreme southern Texas near midday (1700 GMT) Wednesday," it added.
"Some additional strengthening is forecast before landfall," it added.
A category one storm is the lowest rating in the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, but the center predicted 15 to 25 centimeters (six to 10 inches) of rain accumulation over south Texas and northeast Mexico in the coming days.
Isolated areas were expected to see as many as 38 centimeters (15 inches) of rain along with massive waves and flooding at the point of impact, the NHC said.
"Coastal storm surge flooding of four to six feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) above normal tide levels along with large and dangerous battering waves can be expected near and to the north of where the center makes landfall," it added.
The hurricane led to the evacuation of more than 23,000 people from coastal areas in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, Governor Eugenio Hernandez said, adding that he had requested the federal government to declare a state of emergency in his jurisdiction .
The American Navy plans to move more than 100 aircraft from its Corpus Christi naval air station, Texas, to other locations in New Mexico and Texas, said American Navy Spokeswoman Tamsen Reese.
Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell have also moved non-essential staff from their operations in the western part of the Gulf of Mexico.
Texas Governor Rick Perry activated 1,200 National Guard troops and other emergency crews in advance of the storm.
The NHC has forecast an especially active 2008 weather season, saying there could be up to nine hurricanes and 12 tropical storms in the Atlantic region.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through the end of November.
About 35 million people live in the most hurricane-prone American region, the southeastern coastline running from the states of North Carolina to Texas, according to the American Census Bureau.
mk
http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=256812&n=34
Packing sustained winds of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour, the second hurricane of the season was about 205 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of the Texas border town of Brownsville, the American National Hurricane Center said.
The storm was moving northwest at 18 KPH (11 MPH), the center said in its latest update at 0000 GMT.
"This motion is expected to continue until landfall of the center of Dolly along the coast of northeastern Mexico or extreme southern Texas near midday (1700 GMT) Wednesday," it added.
"Some additional strengthening is forecast before landfall," it added.
A category one storm is the lowest rating in the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, but the center predicted 15 to 25 centimeters (six to 10 inches) of rain accumulation over south Texas and northeast Mexico in the coming days.
Isolated areas were expected to see as many as 38 centimeters (15 inches) of rain along with massive waves and flooding at the point of impact, the NHC said.
"Coastal storm surge flooding of four to six feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) above normal tide levels along with large and dangerous battering waves can be expected near and to the north of where the center makes landfall," it added.
The hurricane led to the evacuation of more than 23,000 people from coastal areas in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, Governor Eugenio Hernandez said, adding that he had requested the federal government to declare a state of emergency in his jurisdiction .
The American Navy plans to move more than 100 aircraft from its Corpus Christi naval air station, Texas, to other locations in New Mexico and Texas, said American Navy Spokeswoman Tamsen Reese.
Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell have also moved non-essential staff from their operations in the western part of the Gulf of Mexico.
Texas Governor Rick Perry activated 1,200 National Guard troops and other emergency crews in advance of the storm.
The NHC has forecast an especially active 2008 weather season, saying there could be up to nine hurricanes and 12 tropical storms in the Atlantic region.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through the end of November.
About 35 million people live in the most hurricane-prone American region, the southeastern coastline running from the states of North Carolina to Texas, according to the American Census Bureau.
mk
http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=256812&n=34
