Hurricane Hanna Hammered South Texas, Northern Mexico With Flooding Rain, Storm Surge, Winds

Hanna formed from a tropical wave which migrated westward across the Gulf of Mexico. By the night of July 22, enough convection persisted near a closed low-pressure center for the system to be designated Tropical Depression Eight.

Just 24 hours later, a Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance mission found winds ticked up just enough to upgrade Tropical Depression Eight to Tropical Storm Hanna, the record earliest eighth named storm, beating Tropical Storm Harvey's record, set in 2005, according to Phil Klotzbach, tropical scientist at Colorado State University.

Hanna continued to consolidate its convection around its center. Less than 12 hours before its first Texas landfall, Hanna became the first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season, over two weeks earlier than the average date of the first Atlantic Basin hurricane of the season, according to the National Hurricane Center.

(MORE: Why Hanna Was Such a Challenging Intensity Forecast)

And it wasn't done rapidly intensifying.

Hanna eventually made a pair of South Texas landfalls on Padre Island, then in Kenedy County, Texas, later on July 25 as a stronger-end Category 1 hurricane.

The hurricane then tracked west-southwestward into the Rio Grande Valley, then into northeast Mexico where it eventually weakened.

Rainfall Flooding, Winds, Surge

A sea-level rise of more than 6 feet inundated North Padre Island near Corpus Christi as the eyewall of Hurricane Hanna arrived.

A portion of a Bob Hall pier near Corpus Christi was destroyed by the rough seas, the first time that had happened in 37 years, KIII-TV reported.

Significant surge flooding also inundated North Beach, just north of downtown Corpus Christi, leaving a mess of sand to remove from streets afterward.

(MORE: Rundown of Hanna's Impacts in Texas, Mexico)

In Willacy County wind damage was widespread in Port Mansfield, including downed power poles and damaged or destroyed mobile homes rolled over by winds. A wind gust to 103 mph was clocked by a buoy 17 miles north of Port Mansfield.

Heavy rain across the Lower Rio Grande Valley into northeast Mexico triggered serious flooding in several areas.

Several feet of water inundated streets in Weslaco, Texas, and a number of other towns between, McAllen and Brownsville.

A flash flood emergency was issued early on the morning of July 26 for Mission, Texas, where numerous water rescues were performed.

According to the Texas Water Development Board, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell over the Lower Rio Grande Valley from Hanna.

In northeast Mexico, Monterrey picked up over 16 inches of rain in 24 hours, leading to the collapse of a shopping mall roof.

In neighboring Coahuila state, flooding turned deadly after a van was swept away and a landslide closed a major road.

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