Embattled by virus, Texans now face whipping as hurricane lashes coast

HOUSTON, Texas－South Texas braced for flooding on Sunday after Hurricane Hanna roared ashore the day before, bringing winds that lashed the Gulf Coast with rain and a storm surge to a part of the country struggling to cope with the coronavirus.

The first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic cyclone season made landfall twice as a Category 1 storm on Saturday afternoon within the span of little more than an hour. The first landfall happened at around 5 pm about 25 kilometers north of Port Mansfield, 209 km south of Corpus Christi. The second landfall took place nearby in eastern Kenedy County. Hanna came ashore with maximum sustained winds of 145 km/h. By Saturday night those winds had weakened to 120 km/h.

Meteorologists warned of flash flooding and local authorities asked residents to stay home. Officials in Nueces County warned of a dangerous storm surge and flooding, and in Willacy County officials advised people in Port Mansfield to evacuate.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 32 counties in the state on Saturday in view of "a threat of imminent disaster, including property damage and loss of life, due to widespread flooding, storm surge and hurricane force winds". Many of the counties have been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic in recent weeks.

"Any hurricane is an enormous challenge," Abbott said during a briefing on the storm.

"This challenge is complicated and made even more severe, seeing that it's sweeping through an area that is the most challenged area in the state for COVID-19."

Increased anxiety

More than 68,000 homes and businesses were without power across Texas by 8 pm on Saturday, mostly in the coastal region where Hanna came ashore, said PowerOutage. US, a website that collects live power outage data from utilities all over the country.

Sherry Boehme, 67, who lives in a coastal condominium in Corpus Christi, said the storm's approach had increased the anxiety she has felt during the pandemic. She has mostly stayed at home because of health issues related to chronic lung disease, she said.

"It's almost like a double whammy to us," Boehme said. "I think it's made a lot of people nervous.... We'll get through it. Everybody is good and strong and sticks together."

President Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday night: "My Administration is closely monitoring Hurricane Douglas off Hawaii & Hurricane Hanna, which has now made landfall in Texas. We continue to coordinate closely with both states."

The Hurricane Douglas mentioned in the tweet is off the coast of Hawaii. The White House additionally said Trump had declared that an emergency exists in Hawaii.

South Texas officials' plans for any possible rescues, shelters and monitoring of the storm will have the pandemic in mind and incorporate social distancing guidelines and mask wearing. Cameron county planned to open at least three evacuation shelters. Other counties and cities throughout the state's south had also opened shelters, with many requiring face masks.

Abbott said on Saturday that some sheltering would take place in hotel rooms so people could be separated.

Xinhua - Agencies