Few people left to brave the elements

Gregoria Lopez sought cover under a downtown store awning Wednesday morning trying to figure out where to wait out Hurricane Dolly.

With no home to go to, Lopez had slept under the awning Tuesday night and was thinking about spending another night there. She has lived in Brownsville for seven years along with her sister.

On Wednesday, the sister was staying at a nursing home, leaving Lopez out on her own.

Lopez had heard a hurricane was approaching and didn't know where she was going to stay, as a steady rain continued to fall. She said she wasn't afraid of the approaching storm, but her face belied concern.

Lopez ended up taking shelter at Porter High School on International Boulevard, one of three shelters opened in Brownsville.

Few cars traveled down Elizabeth Street where Lopez waited. The sounds of ropes slapping flagpoles echoed through the air, driven by gusting winds.

Some people were seen walking through streets rolling suitcases with them, while others wandered around hunched beneath rain jackets.

Torrential rains passed through Cameron County all morning long as Hurricane Dolly inched through the area. Water pooled on parts of Expressway 77/83, and authorities contemplated shutting down the expressway because of strong rains and winds.

Authorities urged residents to stay off the roadways to avoid flying debris.

Brief power outages were reported in the San Pedro area on Highway 281, in the Los Fresnos and parts of Brownsville.

At noon Wednesday, city officials estimated at least 4,000 homes were without power and expected that number to increase as the day progressed.

Brownsville experienced minor street flooding Wednesday morning near International Boulevard.

Fallen trees were spotted on East Polk and Ringgold streets, and the city received numerous calls of downed power lines.

One tree fell onto the top of a Ford Windstar minivan parked on Ringgold Street.

Cameron County Judge Carlos H. Cascos said the county was monitoring the situation and expected to see flooding throughout the county, which "is a concern."

Cascos said he had talked to Governor Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-San Antonio, who assured that both state and federal governments would provide the county with whatever assistance it may need.

The judge said he planned to tour the county later Wednesday, once the hurricane had passed.