Tropical storm Dolly has formed on Wednesday in the Gulf Coast. It traversed the U.S.-Mexico coastline and weakened as it entered a tropical depression in South Texas on Thursday. Warnings have been made for a flood along the Rio Grande Valley.

Flood warnings were available for Texas too. Charles Hoskins, deputy emergency officer for Cameron County, Texas, said that “part of Brownsville look like a war zone” and 2,500 people were transferred to shelters.
 
Yesterday, the hurricane was a Category 2 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. It sustained winds of 100 mph, but lost its strength as it entered the depression. Still, it didn’t cause any disaster in U.S., but one in Mexico. Before 4 p.m., Dolly was 35 miles away from Texas and it moved west-northwest.

Reaching the Gulf of Mexico, it forced it to evacuate 10% of its 717 platforms.

As the White House declared Texas a disaster area, the Federal Emergency Management Agency offered help to the people affected by the storm. The agency offered 613,800 liters of water and 776,988 meals to the area. 500 troops from the National Guard are offering their help too.

500,000 people suffered after the disasters caused by the storm and at least 155,000 people ran out of electricity in southern Texas. It seems that the damages’ repairs will cost more than $750 million.

The Gulf Coast has more than 20% of the domestic oil and produces 15% of the gas in the U.S.

The storm will probably destroy the cotton crop in the Rio Grande Valley.