NWS: Hanna is Now a Cat 1 Hurricane

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – Hanna has strengthened to a category 1 hurricane this morning and will continue to move west toward the Central and Lower Texas Coast.

According to the National Weather Service, the center of Hanna is forecast to make landfall Saturday afternoon or early evening.

Rapid weakening is expected after Hanna moves inland.

Locally, strong winds and high seas will continue to produce dangerous marine conditions across the bays and Gulf waters as well as hazardous beach conditions.

At the coast, two to four feet of storm surge is expected from Sargent on down the Gulf and Matagorda Bay coast, and one to two feet of storm surge is expected from Sargent up the coast through High Island. The surge combined with elevated tides will lead to minor coastal flooding.

The strongest wind field should remain over the Gulf waters adjacent to Matagorda Bay. Inland, rainbands generated from Hanna will move into Southeast Texas throughout the day today and tonight. The most concerning threat remains the potential for flooding rains, followed by elevated seas and tides.

Gusty winds are also expected to occur in the warning area, and a few brief tornadoes cannot be ruled out in the strongest parts of any outer bands.

Two to four inches of rain with isolated amounts of six to eight inches are expected across the southernmost counties of Southeast Texas with lower amounts expected elsewhere.