Fog Blog Weather Log: Hanna Hits Texas, Douglas Headed For Hawaii:
HURRICANE HANNA , NOW DOWNGRADED LASHING TEXAS , WHILE HURRICANE DOUGLAS HEADED FOR THE ISLANDS OF HAWAII!.........A day after roaring ashore as a hurricane, Hanna lashed the Texas Gulf Coast on Sunday with high winds and drenching rains that destroyed boats, flooded streets and knocked out power across a region already reeling from a surge in coronavirus cases.Downgraded to a tropical storm, Hanna passed over the U.S.-Mexico border with winds near 50 mph (85 kph), the National Hurricane Center said. It unloaded more than 12 inches (30 centimetres) of rain on parts of South Texas and northeastern Mexico.Border communities whose health care systems were already strained by COVID-19 cases — with some patients being airlifted to larger cities — found themselves under siege from the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic season. There were no immediate reports of any deaths on either side of the border.........Hawaii prepared for the onslaught of Hurricane Douglas on Sunday, with predictions of high winds, rain and storm surge."It's definitely going to be a triple threat," said National Weather Service meteorologist Vanessa Almanza said.Rainfall from the storm can be anywhere from 5-15 inches (13-38 centimetres). It's "probably not a good day to go to the beach," Almanza said.....Douglas weakened Saturday to a Category 1 hurricane as it approached Hawaii, but officials warned people should not be lulled into complacency. The National Weather Service said Douglas should remain a hurricane as it moves through the islands Sunday."Douglas is continuing a gradual, slow, weakening trend, which in itself is good news, but the bad news is that this hurricane is going to come very close to the islands even as it's weakening," said Robert Ballard, the science and operations officer at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. "And we do expect significant impacts as it makes its point of closest approach or possible landfall as it comes through."