Storm Stories

3:39 p.m. Alamo: Residents of the Rancho Blanco Colonia off of South Tower Road near Alamo said Thursday afternoon they had been without power since 9 a.m. Wednesday and without water since 3 a.m. Thursday.

Andres Lopez, who lives in the colonia with his three children and extended family, was clearing his yard Thursday. He said he'd get a hotel room for the night. "We need to get some A/C, cool down a little bit and get some rest," Lopez said.

--James Osborne

3:08 p.m. Alamo: In the colonias surrounding South Tower road, there's flooding in low lying roadways, but houses are staying dry. Children are playing the water. Cars are able to safely navigate the roads.

In Weslaco, residents gathered fallen branches and used chainsaws to clea debris from their yards.

-James Oborne

9:30 a.m.

There was some flooding in the Las Milpas neighborhood in south Pharr, where police used transport trucks to get around. Parts of Dicker Road were virtually impassable. "I wouldn't even try," said Jose Lugua, 21, whose home was located just up the road from a flooded area. Pedro Huerta, 35, said he considered himself lucky. Neither his home nor his business, D'Sabores bakery, were damaged by the storm. Though D'Sabores had no power, Huerta, along with wife Rosa, said they planned to be open for business Thursday.

--Ryan Holeywell

8:08 Edinburg: Cars are driving into deep standing water and stalling at Highway 281 and Freddy Gonzales Road here near the frontage road.

-- Jeremy Roebuck

8:00 a.m. Edcouch-Elsa: While ten people slept inside a house here, Cesar Meldonavo, his brother and friends dug a trench outside the home with a pickaxe. Meldonavo said 80 mph winds blew through his neighborhood last night and he ventured outside as soon as he could to begin cleaning up.

-- Kyle Arnold

7:38 a.m. Edcouch-Elsa: Firefighter Joseph Martinez said the fire department spent the night clearing debris from the streets here. Heavy rain fell the entire time, he said, but there was little wind.

Alderman Henry Martinez estimated 95 percent of homes here are flooded. A leaky roof spurred some of the about 500 people to leave a shelter at Santigo Garcia Elementary School (Highway 107 and FM 1015). More left the shelter this morning, returning home

Mayor Pro Tem Eddy Gonzales said a gas leak was reported near Fm 1015 and Avenida Sur. He also spoke of the challenging cleanup now facing the town.

"What we're going to have to do in Edcouch, we're going to have to do ourselves," he said.

-- Jared Taylor

10:28 p.m. The Monitoroffices are without power at the moment, as is most of McAllen. The Web site will be continue to be update throughout the evening.

7:40 p.m. Two dvd copies of the "Perfect Storm" remained unchecked out Wednesday evening at the Blockbuster just south of Expressway 83 near Texas Boulevard in Weslaco. Roughly 12 people overstepped floodwaters seeping through the doors and employees mopping to rent movies. "It's better than watching the rain," said 18-year-old Tony Florenzio.

7:33 p.m. Seventeen cars are wrapped around Church's Chicken at the corner of Business 83 and Missiouri Avenue in Weslaco waiting for dinner. 44-year-old Robert Cerda, who was waiting in line, said he has been driving around for hours looking for batteries and bread and finally gave up.

- Jeremy Roebuck

6:10 p.m.: The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Department is now responding only to emergency calls, due to the high volume of hurricane-related incidents.

6 p.m. Edinburg: Monte Cristo Road has been closed east of U.S. 281 due to flooding.

4:50 p.m. Alamo: Border Patrol agents have blocked off Military Highway 281 near Alamo Road due to downed power lines.

-Jackie Leatherman

4:30 p.m. Alamo:11-year old Alondra Vela and her 9-year-old sister Alejandra sat on the sill of their open window and watched the hurricane approach.

They'd been watching since 9 a.m. when their lights went out at their home on Rancho Blanco Road.

"I think it's fun," said Alejanda.

Their favorite part? Watching the wind blow things around in their front yard.

Several residential streets just north of the girls are starting to flood, just as the heavy rains begin to hit Hidalgo County in earnest.

Tree debris on the road and intersection flooding is becoming increasingly common.

- Jackie Leatherman

3:52 San Juan:Five crew members from Hidalgo County Pct. 2 were working in the increasingly heavy rain with a backhoe this afternoon, enlarging a drainage ditch on Eldora Road to help water move faster.

- Jackie Leatherman

3:51 Rio Grande City: On the phone from city hall, Juan Zuniga politely laughed in Dolly's face.

And well the city manager might. Starr County is in much better shape to weather this storm than they were in late June of last year, when 15 inches of rain fell on saturated ground and caused horrifying flooding. With dry dirt and Dolly expected to downgrade to tropical storm by the time the slow-moving system reaches Starr County, things are not likely to be nearly as bad.

Still, a war room has taken over city hall and a rotating staff will be there 24/7, he said. Meanwhile, those who flooded last year are being encouraged to seek the safety of Ringgold Middle School's gymnasium.

- Sara Perkins

2:53 Edinburg: Lole's Restaurant on I Rd in Edinburg served about 20 customers between 7 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Owner Jose Vazquez, 42, said he decided to stay open because he didn't want to disappoint his customers, but he will close at 4 p.m.

As Journey's Greatest Hits blared, 10 diners enjoyed their Mexican food. Vazquez said it would just be another rainy day if the media hadn't hyped up the hurricane, encouraging people to stay home.

The media attention "stops everything. I don't think that it's good for nobody," he said.

- Jackie Leatherman

2:25 p.m. Edinburg:Fiesta Food Store at the southeast corner of Closner and Canton was getting ready to close at 3 p.m. today. Karina Herrera, 24, said she had been working since about 6:20 this morning and has had 20 to 30 customers all day.

"We haven't made nothing, no money," she said.

She said all day she has just been trying to keep up with cleaning

She started getting scared a few hours ago when the canopy over the fuel pump started swaying in the wind.

She's getting ready to head home to watch movies and hang out with here family in Las Milpas.

Her mom said flooding is mild there right now, but with the wind and rains picking up, she said she is growing uneasy.

"I'm a little bit scared now because I don't want anything to happen to my car, my house, or my family," Herrera said.

- Jackie Leatherman

2:22 p.m. Southeast of Las Milpas: A downed power line near Alamo Road and Old Military Highway here forced Border Patrol to reroute traffic. Avoid the area.

-- Jennifer Berghom

2 p.m. McAllen: Hurricane Dolly weakened after passing South Padre Island, falling from a category 2 to a category 1 hurricane, according to the latest report from the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Forecasters predict the storm will lose more strength as it travels farther inland. Maximum sustained winds are still 95 mph.

-- Dave Hendricks

2 p.m. McAllen: More than 52,000 American Electric Power customers are without power, according to the company's latest figures. Those number have risen steadily throughout the day. Those people make up more than 5 percent of AEP's Texas customers.

-- Dave Hendricks

1:32 p.m. McAllen: An estimated 2,000 people are taking refuge in Hidalgo County's shelters, up from just 200 last night. In Willacy County, officials closed one of three shelters after few people showed up. "We tapered down to two because nobody had come to them or called for help," said Frank Torres, the county's emergency management coordinator.

-- Dave Hendricks

1:24 p.m. McAllen: If you haven't already, check out our photo slideshow.

1:10 p.m. McAllen: Two Chevy Silverados collided near Jackson and Highway 83. Motorists are being redirected onto Jackson Ave. and onto the side of the road. And in Hidalgo, no signs of flooding.

-- Jennifer Berghom

1:04 p.m. Edinburg: I just returned from the county's emergency operations center, where officials are frustrated that the Red Cross, citing safety concerns, does not plan to open shelters here as Dolly continues to pound South Texas. County spokeswoman Cari Lambrecht said county officials are discussing the situation with the governor's office, as well as Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Hutchison's offices, urging them to pressure the Red Cross to change course. Lambrecht said the Red Cross "should take it as a compliment" that the county is asking for its help.

-- Ryan Holeywell

1:01 p.m. McAllen: Sandbags still sit, piled up to the side, on several front porches along Heron Avenue - just waiting to be used as a barricade against Dolly's floodwaters. Family members gathered inside one of the homes - including visiting sisters from Italy - looking bored and just waiting for something to happen. Harlin Doty, 43, said the family was prepared and had no plans for the day.l He said the've consumed about two to three hours of Dolly media coverage. "I want to know what is going to happen when the perfect storm hits," he said.

12:37 p.m. Mission: Shelters at White Jr. High School in Mission and Memorial Jr. High School in Alton are now open. Both cities ask residents to bring their own supplies.

12:24 p.m. Hidalgo:Roads throughout middle and western Hidalgo County are only experiencing slight flooding. Some large puddles on roads so all drivers should keep an eye out. Many neighborhoods in the city of Hidalgo are prone to massive flooding, so any more rain and you might start seeing deep puddles and flooded streets and homes. But since the storm is still far to the northeast of Hidalgo, the worst is still yet to come.

- Kyle Arnold

12:19 p.m. Mission: Drainage systems are holding up and roads are deserted in Mission. Everyone seems content to wait out the storm.

-- Sara Perkins

12:02 p.m. South Padre Island:Two local hotels lost their roofs, according to eyewitnesses on the island. Both the Palmetto Inn and Bahia Mar lost their tops, say eyewitnesses who spoke to The Valley Morning Star.

11:50 a.m. Willacy County: High winds forced Willacy County suspended ambulance services to San Perdita, Port Mansfield, Santa Monica and Willamar at 10:30 a.m. As of 11:50 a.m., no one from the affected areas had called for help, said Frank Torres, the county's emergency management coordinator. Hurricane Dolly rocked those areas with 60 mph sustained winds and 80 mph gusts, Torres said.

-- Dave Hendricks

11:37 a.m. McAllen: We've just posted a list of closings for county offices.

11:34 a.m. McAllen: Hurricane Dolly dominatesCNN.com's front page.

11:30 a.m. McAllen: I just talked to my counterpart in Brownsville. She reported that Dolly looked like a bad storm as the eye approaches the mainland. Heavy rain and wind gusts of about 50 mph, but nothing horrible yet.

We've got some of the Brownsville Herald news folks in our offices so they can actually put the paper together, but reporters, photographers and editors are holed up in a hotel .They knew the newspaper office wasn't going to have power for very long, but it doesn't look like their hotel fared much better. It's been without electricity for about half an hour.

-- Dave Gragg

11:08 a.m. McAllen: County officals released an updated list of sheltersin Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy Counties. Headcounts will follow shortly.

-- Dave Hendricks

10:30 a.m. Edinburg: Residents burning garbage outside sparked concern from a passerby. Someone reported a grass fire near Highway 281 and El Cibolo Road to dispatchers just before 10 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they saw that the fire was actually a controlled trash burn, said fire chief Shawn Snider.

-- Jennifer Berghom

10:30 a.m. McAllen: The number of American Electric Power customers without power has steadily risen since 6 a.m. We're using this nifty tool to track how many Valley residents are in the dark.

-- Dave Hendricks

10:16 a.m. Hidalgo County: County sand bag operations are now closed.

10 a.m. McAllen: The National Hurricane Center just announcedDolly is now a category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds. Now 30 miles east of Brownsville, Dolly appears to be gathering strength.

-- Dave Hendricks

9:15 a.m. McAllen: With a strong category 1 hurricane bearing down on the valley, you shouldn't venture outside. But if you are going out, where can you get a decent cup of coffee?

Java Girlsat 4000 N. Jackon Road in Pharr -- Closed; the "gourmet espresso and sexy girls" will have to wait. After serving 15 to 20 regulars, manager Nabila Salazar decided to close the shop at 9:30. "We're still kinda slow with customers," she said, adding many employees need to leave before the storm gets worse.

Starbucksat 1700 S. 10th St. in McAllen -- Open. "We're playing it by ear."

Gloria Jean's Coffeeat 2200 S. 10th St. in McAllen -- No answer at 9:06 a.m.

Starbucksat 3509 N. 10th St. in McAllen -- Open. " ... playing it by ear. We're really not sure (if we'll close early)."

Farmer Brothers Coffeeat 1312 Laurel Ave. in McAllen -- Open. "Most of us are here ... we're trying to stay open however long we can." (Full disclosure: The Monitor buys coffee from Farmer Brothers).

Masterpiece Cafeat 4500 N 10th St 135 in McAllen -- Currently closed. Watching the weather. If things remain calm, the cafe could open at 11 a.m.

Moonbeans Coffeeat 5401 N. 10th St. in McAllen -- No answer at 9:13 a.m.

Coffee Zoneat 1108 S. McColl Road in Edinburg -- No answer at 9:14 a.m.

Jitterz Coffee Bar at 1625 N. Conway Ave. in Mission -- No answer at 9:15 a.m.

-- Dave Hendricks

8:30 a.m. McAllen:All Central Station bus services are suspended until further notice, according to a city news release. McAllen Express Transit and Brownsville transit are also suspended.

-- Dave Hendricks

8:16 a.m. Business 83 in Donna: Heavy rain and minor street flooding here. My 1996 Ford Tarus overheated in Weslaco; its antifreeze now looks brown. Not good.

-- Kyle Arnold

7:50 a.m. Texas Blvd., Weslaco: Few cars are on the streets here as the outer rain bands of Hurricane Dolly reach the edge of Hidalgo County. Plywood covers shop windows, but crowds pack the Whataburger on Texas Blvd.

-- Kyle Arnold

7:38 a.m. FM 1015, north of Weslaco:It dosn't appear to have been raining that long, but parts of this road are already starting to take on quite a bit of water, with some pretty deep puddles. Some of the levees that run among the colonias here appear to be near bank full.

— Jared Taylor

7:23 a.m. U.S. Expressway 83, Val Verde Road Exit, near Donna: The first drops from the latest rain band from Dolly are beginning to drop here. Traffic is sparse as we head toward the east.

— Jared Taylor

7:15 a.m. Expressway 83 East, Pharr: The Amber alert signs flash: "Hurricane warning. Avoid travel to Brownsville." The freeway, though clear, sits nearly empty.

-- Kyle Arnold

6:15 a.m.: Apparently at least some gas station owners have been through hurricanes before. As I was coming in to work, a lot of gas stations had taken down the numbers from their gas price signs — I'm guessing they blow away pretty quickly in 74-mph winds.

-- Dave Gragg

3:15 a.m Garcia Elementary, Edcouch-Elsa: Fueled by way too much coffee, six older ladies swapped Hurricane Beulah stories, joked with a reporter and laughed about that "huge" spider they flushed down the toilet.

"I'm not using the bathroom until I get home," said 50-year-old Sonja Zuniga, of Edcouch.

Rosie Garcia - who declined to give her age even after admitting she and her husband fled Hurricane Beulah in 1967 - said she went to the shelter because her husband was working in Houston and she couldn't stand to be alone at her home.

She didn't fear the storm, because during Beulah the delta area was the only place not under water, she said.

"We trust god," Garcia added.

-- Sean Gaffney

2:35 a.m., South Middle School, Edinburg:When the first rain bands moved across Edinburg, the halls of this shelter began to fill, said Omerio Morales, 32. About 290 people made the classrooms home.

-- Sean Gaffney

2 a.m., PSJA North High School, Pharr:Close to 152 people slept on the cool linoleum floors early Wednesday morning. Paula Espinoza and six other family members claimed an enclave in the school's halls as their new home. Fearing heavy rains, the 66-year-old grandmother and her family left their San Benito homes, taking medicines, snacks, blankets and of course the Gameboy for the children.

"But we have no television," six-year-old Emilo Trevino complained as he fashioned a bed from the blankets the entire family was supposed to use.

While they didn't expect sleep to come easy at their new home, Espinoza was rather untroubled. She lost her trailer home that's less than a mile from the river in a fire last year. If water claims the home, well, they'll rebuild, she said.

"There's nothing we can do," Espinoza said. "The Lord giveth and taketh away."

"Probably by tomorrow, we'll fill up," Morales said.

-- Sean Gaffney

If you have a short story you'd like to share as the Rio Grande Valley withstands Hurricane Dolly, please include it in the comments below.