Hurricane Hanna weakens after lashing Texas coast

Hurricane Hanna hit the Texas coast Saturday evening, two days after becoming a tropical storm in the western Gulf of Mexico.

Here are the latest updates:

Update 11:40 p.m. EDT July 25: Hurricane Hanna remained a minimal Category 1 storm as it moved inland from the Texas coast late Saturday.

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 p.m. advisory, Hanna was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph as it continued to move inland across southern Texas. The storm was moving west-southwest at 9 mph. The eye of the storm is expected to move farther inland and move into northeastern Mexico on Sunday. The hurricane center said the storm is expected to weaken rapidly as it moves inland.

Update 7:37 p.m. EDT July 25: Hurricane Hanna wobbled off the Texas coast and made a second landfall Saturday night, coming onshore in eastern Kenedy County, the National Hurricane Center. The storm made its second landfall at 7:15 p.m. EDT with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

The eye of the hurricane hit an area about 15 miles north-northwest of Port Mansfield and 70 miles south of Corpus Christi.

Update 6:15 p.m. EDT July 25: The eye of Hurricane Hanna made landfall at Padre Island, Texas, the National Hurricane Center reported. The storm barreled ashore packing maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

Hanna was the eighth-named system and the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic season.

The storm made landfall 15 miles north of Port Mansfield and is causing flooding along the coast, the National Hurricane Center said. Power officials in the area are reporting more than 35,000 electric outages.

Hanna is the first hurricane to hit Texas in July since Hurricane Dolly in 2008, CNN reported.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 32 counties on Saturday and requested a federal emergency disaster declaration, the news network reported.

The storm is expected to linger in southern Texas, bringing rain, possible flooding and high winds through Saturday night, KSAT reported.

Update 5:15 p.m. EDT July 25: Hurricane Hanna inched closer to becoming a Category 2 storm as the Atlantic hurricane season’s eighth-named system threatened the Texas coast.

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. EDT advisory, Hanna’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 90 mph as the eye of the storm was located 20 miles northeast of Port Mansfield, Texas and 70 miles south of Corpus Christi. A Category 2 storm is a system that has maximum sustained winds of 96 mph or more.

Hurricane-force winds were already buffeting Padre Island, the hurricane center said as the storm is moving west-southwest at 8 p.m.

A hurricane warning is in effect from Port Mansfield to Port Aransas, Texas. A tropical storm warning is in effect from Port Aransas to Port O’Connor, Texas, and from Port Mansfield south to Barra el Mezquital, Mexico.

The next scheduled advisory by the National Hurricane Center is scheduled for 8 p.m .EDT.

Update 4:28 p.m. EDT July 25: The western eyewall of Hurricane Hanna is bringing hurricane-force winds to the southern coast of Texas. At 4 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said an observation center at Laguna Madre, Texas reported sustained winds of 68 mph and gusts to 104 mph.

The storm was located 30 miles east-northeast of Port Mansfield and 75 miles south-southeast of Corpus Christi with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

The next advisory by the National Hurricane Center is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT.

Update 2:04 p.m. EDT July 25: Hurricane Hanna continues to edge closer to the Texas coast.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to 80 mph with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm’s movement has slowed to 8 mph.

Hurricane force winds extend about 25 miles from the center of the storm. The hurricane is about 50 miles from Port Mansfield and 70 miles from Corpus Christi.

Update 11:04 a.m. EDT July 25: Hurricane Hanna continues to strengthen as it heads toward the Texas coast, the National Weather Service said in its latest advisory.

Gusty squalls are covering the central Texas coast as the storm continues its movement.

Forecasters issued storm surge and hurricane warnings for parts of Texas from Port Mansfield to Sargent.

Update 9:54 a.m. EDT July 25: Tropical Storm Hanna has strengthened to become the first hurricane of the season, weather officials said in its latest advisory.

Hurricane Hanna has sustained winds of 75 mph and is about 100 miles east south east of Corpus Christi, Texas. The storm is moving at 9 mph.

The hurricane is expected to make landfall along the Texas coast later this afternoon or early in the evening, forecasters said.

Update 11:04 p.m. EDT July 24: Tropical storm Hanna began to strengthen as it moved closer to the Texas coast Friday night, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. EDT advisory.

At 11 p.m., the eye of Hanna was located about 165 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Winds had increased to 65 mph, and the storm was moving west at 8 mph. The storm is expected to hit the south Texas coast as a hurricane sometime Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

A hurricane warning was extended southward from Mesquite Bay, Texas, to Port Mansfield, the hurricane center said. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Port Mansfield south to Barra el Mezquital, Mexico, and from Mesquite Bay northward to High Island, Texas.

Update 8:08 p.m. EDT July 24: Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to make landfall as a hurricane in southern Texas on Saturday. At 8 p.m. EDT, the center of Hanna was located 190 miles east of Corpus Christi, Texas. The storm retains a maximum wind speed of 50 mph and is moving to the west at 10 mph.

A hurricane warning was issued from Baffin Bay, Texas, northward to Mesquite Bay. A tropical storm warning was issued from Baffin Bay south to the mouth of the Rio Grande, and from Baffin Bay northward to San Luis Pass.

A storm surge warning is in effect from Baffin Bay to Sargent.

The next advisory by the National Hurricane Center will be issued at 11 p.m. EDT.

Update 4:58 p.m. EDT July 24: Tropical Storm Hanna continued to become better organized as it headed toward the Texas coast.

At 5 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center reported that the eye of the Atlantic hurricane season’s eighth-named storm was located 195 miles east of Corpus Christi, Texas. The storm was still packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving west at 10 mph.

The NHC said the storm is expected to reach hurricane strength before it hits the Texas coast.

A hurricane warning was issued from Baffin Bay, Texas, northward to Mesquite Bay. A tropical storm warning was issued from Baffin Bay south to the mouth of the Rio Grande, and from Baffin Bay northward to San Luis Pass.

The National Hurricane Center will issue an intermediate advisory at 8 p.m. EDT.

Update 2:10 p.m. EDT July 24: Tropical Storm Hanna strengthened again Friday as it continued to churn toward the coast of Texas, with maximum sustained winds at 50 mph by 2 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center.

The storm was about 230 miles east of Corpus Christi on Friday afternoon, forecasters said. It’s expected to dump as many as 12 inches of rain over parts of Texas over the coming days.

Update 11:15 a.m. EDT July 24: Tropical Storm Hanna strengthened slightly Friday morning with maximum sustained winds measured at 45 mph, according to the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center.

As of 11 a.m. Friday, the storm was about 250 miles east of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Update 8:40 a.m. EDT July 24: Forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said Friday morning that Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to dump as many as 12 inches of rain across some parts of south Texas through Sunday as it continues its approach toward the coast.

Most areas will see between 4 and 8 inches of rain, forecasters said.

As of 8 a.m. Friday, Hanna was about 285 miles east of Corpus Christi with maximum sustained winds measured at 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Update 5:28 a.m. EDT July 24: Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to strengthen through the day Friday and overnight, according to the National Hurricane Center.

In its 5 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the storm was located 315 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and was moving west-northwest at 9 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

Original report: At 11 p.m. EDT, the center of the minimal tropical storm was located 385 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hanna is now the earliest “H” storm in the Atlantic hurricane season. The previous record-holder was Tropical Storm Harvey, which formed on Aug. 3, 2005.

Hanna, the eighth-named tropical system of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, is moving in a west-northwest direction at 7 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A tropical storm warning was posted from the mouth of the Rio Grande River to San Luis Pass, Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm watch is in effect from San Luis Pass to High Island, Texas.

The National Hurricane Center will issue an intermediate advisory at 2 a.m. EDT Friday and a full advisory at 5 a.m.

Cox Media Group