Storm surge washed over South Texas beaches and rain pounded down as Hurricane Hanna made landfall Saturday.
Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for 32 counties, many of them in areas ravaged in recent weeks by the coronavirus pandemic.
Life threatening flooding remained a threat in parts of Texas and Mexico as Hanna began the march inland. Hundreds of medical, emergency and search and rescue personnel were standing by in Texas, with aircraft, boats and vehicles, Abbott said at a press conference Saturday afternoon. He said a shelter would be opened at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio for people with medical needs. The Red Cross had plans to give hotel vouchers to other evacuees if necessary, Abbott said.
Water washed boards, tree limbs, trash and other debris over seawalls, piers and roads all along the coast.
More than 58,000 homes and businesses were without power across Texas as of about 7 p.m. CDT, mostly in the coastal region where Hanna came ashore, according to poweroutage.us.
A portion of the Bob Hall Pier in Corpus Christi washed away, and flood waters had reached the city's Art Museum of South Texas, KIII-TV reported. Images posted on social media also showed flooding in the downtown area.
A building was damaged hours south in Port Mansfield.
Earlier in the day, officials in Nueces County warned of the dangerous storm surge and flooding.
“We are highly concerned about this surge of water that we are seeing," Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales said in a news briefing earlier in the day
Residents were told to stay inside their homes as the storm also brought the potential for heavy rainfall and flooding.
"There are life-threatening situations with this storm," Canales warned. "Please take it very seriously."
(MORE: Latest Forecast for Hurricane Hanna)
Corpus Christi, located in Nueces County, saw a storm surge of more than 5 feet before high tide hits at 7:13 p.m., which could make impacts worse.
Portions of another pier along the coast also appeared to be washed away.
Canales told residents the safest place to be is at home.
“This is Mother Nature’s stay at home order for all of us and I think that the rising waters particularly make it very difficult for anybody to safely move around," she said.
Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb reminded residents to stay away from beaches and to pay attention to barricades closing off flooded roadways.
“Don’t ever underestimate the power of water and what it can do," McComb said. "It’s not forgiving.”
A beach and roadway in Matagorda County, Texas, were covered with debris from Hurricane Hanna on Saturday, July 25, 2020.He reminded those who do need to leave their homes for safety reasons to continue to take precautions against COVID-19.
"Remember, if you’ve joined a family member at some other residence than yours, that you take your masks and other things," McComb said at the Saturday briefing. "We still have the corona pandemic. We don’t want to forget that and expose someone or be exposed if someone has it where you’re going. So be mindful of that where ever you go. Keep your mask on.”
Some communities along the Texas coast were urged to evacuate ahead of the storm.
The storm was causing storm surge and beach erosion Saturday afternoon in areas including Corpus Christi and Padre Island.
Officials in Willacy County advised people in Port Mansfield to evacuate.
“It is highly encouraged that residents, property owners and tourist(s) consider evacuating the Port Mansfield area as soon as possible,” Port Mansfield Port Director Ronald Mills said in a news release late Friday night, according to The Monitor newspaper.
A voluntary evacuation order was also issued for several communities in Kleberg County, which includes a portion of Padre Island. Residents in Ricardo, Riviera, Baffin Bay and Loyola were all urged to evacuate Friday, the Caller Times newspaper reported.
In San Patricio County, those living in low-lying areas and recreational vehicles or other vulnerable homes were advised to seek safer shelter.
(MORE: In the Era of Coronavirus and Social Distancing, Should You Go to a Shelter?)
Preparations were also made at the SpaceX South Texas launch facility at Boca Chica, where some equipment was moved inside.
Members of the Harlingen Fire Department help fill sandbags on Friday, July 24, 2020, ahead of Hurricane Hanna's arrivalTexas Gov. Greg Abbott had earlier placed state resources on standby in anticipation of the storm.
The resources include search and rescue crews and equipment.
Across the Mexican border, officials in the state of Nuevo Leon were also moving assets into place if needed.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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