As Hurricane Dolly churned off South Padre Island — and wind and rain from its outer bands pelted the shore — the storm appeared to be veering north into Texas this morning rather than south into Mexico.
"The island community is urged to remain indoors until Hurricane Dolly passes," Mayor Robert Pinkerton Jr. said in a message posted this morning on the city's Web site. "Be safe, be smart and leave the roads to our emergency responders."
It remains unclear just when and where Dolly will hit shore. The greatest amount of rain could fall overnight, forecasters said.
Precautions have been taken, from residents boarding their windows to hoarding supplies and Texas National Guard troops were mobilized, but it remained to be seen how much punch Dolly would pack.
"We are lucky it is not as big a storm as it could be," said Johnny Cavazos, emergency management coordinator for Cameron County. "We've got people boarding up their homes and taking necessary precautions."
