Tropical Storm Don makes landfall; weakens

Tropical Storm Don came ashore last night around 50 miles south of Corpus Christi. By 10 pm local time the center of the storm was over land and the winds were dying down. Don is not a tropical depression and all warnings have been cancelled.

Tropical Storm Don Downgraded at Landfall; All Warnings End(SF Gate)

July 30 (Bloomberg) -- Tropical Storm Don has been downgraded to a tropical depression as it moved across the Texas coastline near Baffin Bay last night, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The depression was about 40 miles south of Corpus Christi, Texas, with maximum winds of 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour, according to a hurricane center advisory issued just before 10 p.m. local time. All storm warnings for the coast have been canceled.

"Don is forecast to dissipate in a day or so as it moves farther inland," the advisory said. "Data from an Air Force hurricane hunter plane indicate that the winds are also rapidly decreasing."

At its height, Don forced the shutdown of more than 11.9 percent of oil production and 6.2 percent of gas output from the Gulf of Mexico, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement said yesterday.

Hopefully Don will bring some much needed rain to the area, however it seems as it the rain chances are spotty. For a storm that many people were looking forward to to help bring some needed moisture, it seems as it Don may disappoint.

Tropical Storm Don: Winds Ease Close to Texas Coast
(Christian Post)

Don is expected to disperse by Saturday as it moves further inland. The National Hurricane Center warns, “Wind gusts could still be experienced over water to the north and east of the center.”

These conditions should continue over the next several hours.

The center reported that storm surge and tides would keep water levels raised as high as one to two feet above ground level. This is true for areas along the Texas south coast. The high water levels will begin to recede as the storm moves inland.

Unfortunately for the region suffering a drought currently, the amount of rainfall expected has also dissipated. South Texas is predicted to receive only one to two inches, according to the center.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has labeled this as the third worst drought in the state’s recorded history. The decrease in rainfall is bad news for farmers dealing with dried-up cattle ponds and farm fields in the Lone Star state.