Dolly downgraded after hitting Texas

MIAMI, July 23 (UPI) -- Dolly diminished to a tropical storm after blasting ashore as a hurricane with 100-mph winds in southern Texas Wednesday after raking South Padre Island.

The National Hurricane Center said as of 10 p.m. CDT all hurricane warnings along the coasts of Texas and Mexico had been discontinued, though a tropical storm warning was in effect from Brownsville to Port Aransas, Texas.

While Dolly was expected to continue to dissipate, it was still carrying winds of near 70 mph and was expected to produce 8-12 inches of rain over the region with isolated areas getting up to 20 inches dumped on them. Widespread flooding and isolated tornadoes were possible, the hurricane center predicted.

Forecasters warned of coastal storm surge flooding 6 to 8 feet above normal tide levels along with dangerous battering waves.