Hurricane Humberto slams into southeast Texas; at least one dead (Roundup)

By Rich Bowden M&C Staff Writer Sep 13, 2007, 15:22 GMT

Handout satellite image taken and released on 13 September 2007 at 11:45 GMT by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of Category 1 Hurricane Humberto over eastern Texas and Louisiana.EPA/NOAA

(M&C) - Hurricane Humberto slammed into southeast Texas Thursday with 80 mph winds on its way to Louisiana. The category one storm first hit near Sea Rim State Park according to meteorologist Jim Sweeney of the National Weather Service who said the storm's intensity was expected to weaken as it went inland. Latest reports say one man was killed in east Texas when his carport collapsed on top of him.

"It's a very compact storm," Sweeney said to AP. "The strongest winds are very close to the center of circulation. The hurricane force winds only go about 15 miles."

However the storm missed the city of Houston hitting the Beaumont-Port Arthur area in southeastern Texas knocking down power lines, cutting electricity and affecting the area's refineries.

Greg Fountain, coordinator for Jefferson County emergency management serving the Beaumont-Port Arthur area told reporters Thursday, "If Houston got a pass, we got the fast-ball strike."

With rain across the state of around five to ten inches and with a possible 15 inches expected, Gov Rick Perry mobilized 50 military vehicles with 200 soldiers, plus a half-dozen helicopters and two swift-water rescue teams.

 "Some areas of our state remain saturated by summer floods, and many communities in this storm's projected path are at high risk of dangerous flash flooding," Perry said to reporters.

Texas residents remain concerned about the heavy rain falling in some areas after already experiencing a wet summer.

With Humberto expected to hit her state, Gov. Kathleen Blanco has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and has issued hurricane warnings.