HURRICANE BLOG: NEC completes power restoration

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Tropical Storm Hanna updates can be found below. Read the full forecasts at kristv.com/weather

7/28 updates

1 p.m. - Nueces Electric Cooperative (NEC) completed the power restoration for almost 5,000 NEC power line members impacted by Hurricane Hanna in the Coastal Bend late Monday, leading NEC to deactivate its emergency response plan as a result.

NEC line crews continue to address a few additional outages and make further system repairs caused by the storm and its aftermath. As a result, new construction work remains suspended at this time.

7/27 updates

7:45 p.m. - The city's Solid Waste Department is asking residents with small branches or amounts of yard waste from Hurricane Hanna to place them in their green trash cart.

Please make sure the lid closes properly.

Large brush and other debris can be taken directly to the J.C. Elliott Transfer Station at Highway 286 and Ayers Street. Hours of operation for the transfer station have been extended from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the next seven days including Saturday and Sunday. Extended hours for clean brush only and no trash is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Local residents are urged to not place brush in their recycling carts.

6:15 p.m. - The Texas State Aquarium will reopen for business as scheduled at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

It was closed for damage and debris from the storm over the weekend and Monday.

None of their animal were hurt and are all doing well after the storm.

7/26 updates

5:20 p.m. - Del Mar College classes will resume as scheduled on Monday, the college announced.

School officials announced the college received minimal property damage as a result of Hurricane Hanna over the weekend.

College operations continue under Return-to-Campus Phase 2 conditions. Facilities remain closed to the public with restricted access allowed for approved employees and designated students.

3:45 p.m. - Padre Island National Seashore will remain closed for the next several days after sustaining damage from Hanna.

The park reported on its Facebook page that it sustained damage from the hurricane on both the laguna and gulf sides of the island and will remain closed at the present time.

The Facebook post says PINS hopes to open by the end of the week, but will wait for an official reopening date after assessment is complete.

2 p.m. - Meteorologist Tom Harris provides the latest information about Hurricane Hanna.

7/25 updates

11:59 p.m. - KRIS 6 Chief Meteorologist Dale Nelson gives us his final look at tonight's weather.

11:30 p.m. - Katia Uriarte reports on the rescue of three boaters behind Marina Del Sol Condominiums on Ocean Drive late Saturday evening.

10:30 p.m. - Corderro McMurry provides live coverage on Hurricane Hanna's effects on downtown Corpus Christi.

10:20 p.m. - Jeff Dubrof has the live report from the flooding along North Beach.

10:10 p.m. - Our Katia Uriarte reports live from the scene of a U.S. Coast Guard rescue behind Marina Del Sol Condominiums on Ocean Drive.

9:52 p.m. - Lt. Lyons with U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed there are three people stranded on two boats behind Marina Del Sol condominums on Ocean Drive near Cole Park.

One person is on a sailboat. Two people are on a powerboat and one of those vessels is taking on water.

The Coast Guard is now sending a chopper for rescue in the area.

9:12 p.m. - The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for an area including Portland, Ingleside and Aransas Pass.

The potential population for this area, according to the NWS, is 57,175.

The warning will continue until 9:45 p.m.

9:10 p.m. - The city is urging all of those visiting the municipal marina to please heed the barricades at the facility.

Here's a note from Deanna McQueen with the City of Corpus Christi:

"The storm surge has created safety issues at the municipal marina. Many people have ignored the barricades and their safety is at issue. We would appreciate if the local media could help us discourage people from going into the secured area."

Consider yourself warned.

8:07 p.m. - Downtown was affected when Hurricane Hanna blew through our area. Here's a look at some pictures taking by photojournalist Cameron Gorman earlier today.

7:25 p.m. - A tornado warning has been issued in Kleberg County. A twister was seen in northwest Kleberg County, 7 miles north of Kingsville moving west at 40 mph.

If you live in that area, take shelter immediately.

The Kingsville Police Department reports that the tornado is by 291 and moving west.

7:23 p.m. - The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has issued a set of recommendations for its 67,000 policyholders living in the area where Hurricane Hanna has produced sustained damage.

7:12 p.m. - Tornado Warning including Bishop TX until 7:45 PM CDT

Tornado Warning including Bishop TX until 7:45 PM CDT pic.twitter.com/AVFWiKTOW8

— NWS Corpus Christi (@NWSCorpus) July 26, 2020

7:02 p.m. - The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi has declared a second landfall for Hurricane Hanna.

This time it's in eastern Kenedy County, about 15 miles north/northwest of Port Mansfield.

Sustained winds continue at approximately 90 mph.

6:51 p.m. - Hanna left a mark on North Beach. Check out some of these viewer submitted pictures.

Picture by Michele Spinelli

Photos by Michele Spinelli

5:56 p.m. - iHeart Radio will be carrying our newscast with our continuous coverage of Hurricane Hanna.

You can listen to our reports live on KKTX, Newsradio 1360 AM.

And you can also hear it on the iHeart Radio app.

5:12 p.m. - The National Weather Service reports that Hanna has made landfall on Padre Island.

The storm hit shore at 5 p.m.

The eye of the storm is located about 15 miles north of Port Mansfield with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

5:10 p.m. - The Mother Theresa Shelter has been keeping busy sheltering people from the storm.

It's currently open and running on a 24-7 schedule and will stay that way throughout the weekend.

The shelter says they'll be monitoring the storm and updating their hours accordingly.

4:30 p.m. - The Arts Apartment on Ocean Drive was damaged by Hanna.

The walkway at the apartment was destroyed.

Residents said they heard a loud disturbance and then started seeing wood floating near them.

4:15 p.m. - The National Weather Service reports that Hurricane Hanna is bearing down on the Coastal Bend, currently moving west-southwest at approximately 8 mph.

4:05 p.m. - The Kleberg County Sheriff's Office reports that its non-emergency telephone lines are down because of Hurricane Hanna.

3 p.m. - Gov. Greg Abbott will conduct a press conference in Austin beginning at 3 p.m. Watch it live on KRIS-TV and all of our digital platforms.

2:20 p.m. - Jeff Dubrof checks in from Oleander Point on Ocean Drive, where some of Hanna's power is starting to be seenin the growing waves.

1:57 p.m. - The National Weather Service expects tornado threats to increasethroughout the afternoon.

1:30 p.m. - AEP Texas crews have started responding to Hurricane Hanna-associated outagesacross the Coastal Bend.

1:15 p.m. - Corderro McKinley reports live from flooding along the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway.

12:56 p.m. - Most commercial flights servicing Corpus Christi International Airport have been canceledas Hurricane Hanna approaches.

12:51 p.m. - Power outages are reported that are affecting many traffic signals and streetlights across the city.

12:43 p.m. - A tornado warning has been issued for the Woodsboro and Cranell areas until 1 p.m. CDT.

10:40 a.m. - Use caution if you are in the area of the JFK Causeway and OSO Bridge turnarounds. We are getting reports that they are flooding.

Use caution if you are in the area of the JFK Causeway and OSO Bridge turnarounds. We are getting reports that they are flooding.

7:45 a.m. - Hundreds of AEP customers lost power Saturday morning across Corpus Christi.

According to the AEP power outage website, people in different neighborhoods lost power across the city. The first couple of power outages were reported just before 8 a.m. Saturday.

The power outages come before Hurricane Hanna has made landfall.

It does not say when the power will be restored.

6:30 a.m. - Tropical Storm Hanna has been upgraded to a hurricane and is moving toward Texas, which has been dealing with a surge of coronavirus cases in recent weeks.

1:21 a.m. - The strong winds that Hanna's packing could leave neighborhoods littered with downed tree limbs and more.

Corpus Christi solid waste crews were out making rounds with regular brush pickups Friday. Crews said, weather permitting, they could also hit the streets again on Monday.

1:05 a.m. - Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb said in a briefing at City Hall that he got an encouraging phone call from Gov. Greg Abbott.

Abbott told McComb the State will see to it that the city gets all the resources it needs, before and after the storm. Read the whole story here.

7/24 updates

Watch the 1 p.m. city/county update here.

11:54 p.m. - Corpus Christi closures Saturday include the public libraries, the Texas State Aquarium, the Art Museum of South Texas.

10:36 p.m. - Padre Island National Seashore closed at 8 p.m. Friday because of the storm. A statement from the park said if conditions allow, it will reopen at 6 a.m. Monday.

10:30 p.m. - After checking in with the 10 p.m. advisory, Chief Meteorologist Dale Nelson said he is convinced Tropical Storm Hanna will be upgraded to Hurricane Hanna before it makes landfall.

9:48 p.m. - The City of Kingsville and Kleberg Co. officials have signed a disaster declaration for the area, due the possibility "significant threts to life, health and property," because of its location north of the storm. See the declaration here.

7:07 p.m. - Del Mar College will cease operations and close at 9 p.m. Friday and will remain closed throughout the weekend. The college said it will have an update late Sunday morning about when operations will resume.

4:07 p.m. - The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning and a storm surge warning for the Coastal Bend, which are generally issued 36 hours before dangerous conditions are expected.

3:53 p.m. - The City of Corpus Christi announced its Emergency Operations Center will be activated at 8 p.m. Friday to monitor Tropical Storm Hanna. The EOC centralizes leadership from across all city departments and handles things such as putting out relevant information, developing real-time policies and responding to -- in this case -- storm-related emergencies as they happen.

2:45 p.m. - AEP Texas said arrangements are being made to bring in crews from other areas to help restore power after the storm passes. It also reminds customers on life support systems to make arrangements now in case of prolonged power outages, and recommends those on life-support systems or who need uninterrupted electric service for health reasons should arrange to evacuate.

12:50 p.m. - The City of Kingsville announced via its Facebook bag that it had run out of sand, but was expecting another delivery at 1 p.m.

1:14 p.m. - The South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, located at 8545 S. Staples St., will be closed on Saturday and Sunday due to forecasted tropical storm-force wind and significant rainfall from Tropical Storm Hanna.

12:17 p.m. - San Patricio is asking residents in low-lying areas and in in motor homes, travel trailers, or other dwells that might not withstand the projected Tropical Storm-force winds of 60 to 65 mph to evacuate voluntarily. Additionally, all vehicle travel should be limited beginning 6 a.m. Saturday morning until noon on Sunday.

11 a.m. - The Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority will cancel all transportation services on Saturday.

10:44 a.m. - A&M-CC announced it would be suspending operations at 2 p.m. Friday to prepare for the storm.

10:21 a.m. - City of Kingsville Public Works crews will distribute sandbags beginning at 9 a.m. Friday at the Kingsville Sanitation Department, 1300 E. Corral Ave. Proof of residency will be required and each household is limited to nine bags.

7/23 updates
6 p.m. - The city will be handing out sandbags at the Public Works Stockpile near Holly Road and Civitan Drive. The city is recommending residents access Civitan via Ayers Road. Those trying to access on Holly will be made to drive around to the Ayers side. The distribution started on Thursday and is set to continue Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

5:12 p.m. - City manager Peter Zanoni announced during Thursday's daily joint new briefing that both Gulf and bay beaches will be closed to pedestrians starting at noon Friday until 6 a.m. Monday so that the city can prepare for Tropical Depression No. 8.