July 24, 2008

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Officials in South Texas say it now appears the threat of levee failures is diminishing despite the heavy rains being dumped by Hurricane Dolly.

Dolly roared ashore about 35 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The brunt of the storm hit small communities just north of Brownsville, including low-lying villages of immigrants who live without sewer and water service. That turn to the north spared levees that hold back the Rio Grande.

Although the system weakened after striking land on the resort area of South Padre Island, one official cautions that the danger has not passed.

At 5 p.m. Eastern, Dolly still had winds topping out at about 85 miles per hour. Dolly has spawned thunderstorms as far away as Houston, 400 miles up the coast. Tornado watches were in effect for many coastal counties between Corpus Christi and Houston.

(Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.)