ATL: Tropical Depression Dolly

[funster]

It must be making for an extremely unpleasant situation for those in far southern Texas. There must be some terrible flash flooding going on.

[Chacor]

PNSBRO
TXZ248>257-240200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
725 PM CDT JUL 23 2008

THE FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY RAINFALL TOTALS FROM TODAY DUE TO
HURRICANE DOLLY

CITY/TOWN COUNTY RAINFALL (INCHES)

AIRPORTS (THROUGH 6 PM TODAY):

WESLACO/MID COUNTY HIDALGO 3.02
HARLINGEN/VALLEY CAMERON 3.42*
BROWNSVILLE/INTL CAMERON 5.54
EDINBURG HIDALGO 1.77
MCALLEN/MILLER HIDALGO 1.85
PORT ISABEL/BAYVIEW CAMERON 2.27*

*ESTIMATED DATA

THE FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY PEAK SUSTAINED WINDS AND WIND GUSTS
DUE TO HURRICANE DOLLY

CITY/TOWN COUNTY WIND

AIRPORTS (THROUGH 6 PM TODAY):

PORT ISABEL/BAYVIEW CAMERON 58 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 70*
HARLINGEN/VALLEY CAMERON 56 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 74*
BROWNSVILLE/INTL CAMERON 51 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 68
RINCON (TCOON) KENEDY 59 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 76
BAYVIEW (TCOON) CAMERON 48 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 68
BAHIA GRANDE (TCOON) CAMERON 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 74
MCALLEN/MILLER HIDALGO 33 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 47
BUOY020 39 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 51

*ESTIMATED DATA

THE LATEST DAMAGE REPORTS FROM AROUND THE AREA INDICATE THAT MOST
PORTIONS OF CAMERON COUNTY HAVE DOWNED POWER LINES AND POWER OUTAGES
ESPECIALLY IN THE BROWNSVILLE...HARLINGEN...PORT ISABEL AND SOUTH
PADRE ISLAND AREAS. THE SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AREA APPEARS TO HAVE THE
WORST OF THE POWER OUTAGES.

$$

SPEECE/CASTILLO

[Ptarmigan]

I wonder if the convection east of Dolly in GOM will affect Houston tonight? Dolly dumped up to 20" of rain as estimated on Doppler Radar. Quite a storm.

[southerngale]

Don't forget to save your images to Imageshack, Photobucket, or somewhere like that before posting them. They're all time sensitive.

[Cape Verde]

Those aren't exactly the magnitude of rainfall totals I was expecting to see.

[Ptarmigan]

Those aren't exactly the magnitude of rainfall totals I was expecting to see.

Yeah, I was shocked to see high rainfall totals out of Dolly.

[jasons2k]

8:00 Curfew for SPI per Channel KGBT. No electricity. Causeway still closed.

Shelter is opening @ municipal complex.

[Ptarmigan]

I wonder if there are any reports of fatalities? I hope not.

[southerngale]

Those aren't exactly the magnitude of rainfall totals I was expecting to see.

I don't know how accurate it is, but NWS radar estimates MUCH higher amounts. And it's still raining.

[Ptarmigan]

Just saw a live feed on KGBT-TV in Brownsville. One high school, which was used as a shelter is being evacuated due to flooding. Also, a lot of downed powerlines and stranded people.

http://www.kgbt4.com/news/content.aspx?id=163489

[Chacor]

The reports are what's actually been observed v.s. radar estimates, although the reports are only from airports and only from midnight to 6 pm CDT today. Areas not near airports will have higher storm totals compared to midnight to 6 pm.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

South Padre Island could have some serious damage. Also the
flooding will cause big problems over South Texas. Prayers
for all impacted by this hurricane.

[Jason_B]

I could be wrong but I always thought radar usually overestimates rainfall totals a bit?

[Chacor]

I could be wrong but I always thought radar usually overestimates rainfall totals a bit?

I believe that is the case, yes.

[Ptarmigan]

I could be wrong but I always thought radar usually overestimates rainfall totals a bit?

Sometimes they can underestimate rainfall totals.

[DanKellFla]

Why do you think it appears to be "intensifying" over land? I have only seen this with Erin before.

Increased frictional effects causing boundary layer convergence to increase near the eye...and its still close enough to the coast to draw in some moisture...

Most storms are 100 miles inland at this point...not 20.

What do you mean by that last statement? Is it because the storm is moving so slowly? Do the boundary layer effecty normally occur 100 miles inland?

Long Live Lorentz. ha ha

[Chacor]

Still going strong.

[MiamiensisWx]

What do you mean by that last statement? Is it because the storm is moving so slowly? Do the boundary layer effecty normally occur 100 miles inland?

Long Live Lorentz. ha ha

Bolded portion is correct. He's clearly referring to Dolly's lethargic forward movement.

[HURAKAN]

Very similar to Erika in 2003. Erika was able to keep its mid-level structure for a long time and the spin and organization was very impressive on radar.

[Chacor]

If the storm stalls, will intensity really drop off that much since it's still so close to water?