Trump says closely monitoring Hurricane Hanna after landfall in Texas

Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-26 11:43:43|Editor: huaxia

WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday that his administration is closely monitoring Hurricane Hanna after it made landfall in the southern state of Texas.

The storm, the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic season, made landfall at 5:00 p.m. central time (2200 GMT) on Padre Island, Texas, as a Category 1 hurricane.

More than an hour later, the hurricane made a second landfall nearby. The National Hurricane Center said it brought maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

As the hurricane is moving onshore, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, beach flooding, and dangerous rip currents at the local beaches, as well as very strong winds with damage to buildings and trees, and power outages will continue to be the main threats, according to the National Weather Service.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Saturday that he has issued a disaster declaration for 32 counties in the "Lone Star State."

The hurricane came as the number of coronavirus infections continues to surge across Texas, which has reported more than 389,000 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted earlier this year that a likely range of 13 to 19 named storms, of which six to 10 could become hurricanes, including three to six major hurricanes, for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.

An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

Trump also said on Saturday that the federal government is monitoring Hurricane Douglas, which is off the coast of Hawaii, a U.S. state in the Pacific Ocean.

The White House additionally said Trump has declared that an emergency exists in Hawaii.

The Pacific Disaster Center said Saturday that the hurricane is "tracking toward the Hawaiian Islands."

The storm is "expected to pass near the Hawaiian Islands late Saturday through Sunday," the organization tweeted. "Heavy rainfall is expected for parts of Maui; with potential storm surge, tropical storm winds, and heavy rainfall for Oahu." Enditem

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