In view of the forecast for the US National Hurricane Centre NHC regarding Hurricane Hanna, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for some of the counties. The prediction is for heavy rains with possibilities of flash floods in parts of Texas and neighboring Mexico.

The BBC says Hurricane Hanna made landfall Saturday on Padre Island and subsequently downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved into Mexico. However, NHC cautions that the situation could lead to "life-threatening" situations. Coronavirus could mean complications for those engaged in emergency services and they have to take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all concerned.

There was a storm surge warning on the Texan coast but the NHC later withdrew it. Initial classification of Hurricane Hanna was a Category One hurricane. This is the lowest level of warning. The wind speed was up to 90mph but the force tore off roofs from some of the homes.

Hawaii faces threats of Hurricane Douglas

Hurricane Hanna struck Texas while the southern state is trying to check the spread of coronavirus. There are thousands of cases of infection in the state with nearly 5,000 deaths.

Gov Abbott realizes the magnitude of the task ahead. He says that "Any hurricane is an enormous challenge. This challenge is complicated and made even more severe, seeing that it is sweeping through an area that is the most challenging area in the state for Covid-19."

The NHC confirms that the wind speeds were near 75mph and Hanna was weakening.

It will probably move inland over Texas and into Mexico. The BBC adds that Hurricane Douglas was also active. It was approaching Hawaii with maximum winds of up to 90mph. Here there are also fears of heavy rainfall, floods, and dangerously high surf. The Trump administration has its eyes on the developments.

US President Donald Trump tweeted: "We continue to closely coordinate with both states."

Hurricane Hanna led to large-scale loss of power

According to Sky News, innumerable homes and businesses suffered power loss after Hurricane Hanna swept through southern Texas. It made landfall as a category one storm and later downgraded to a tropical storm. However, high-speed winds played havoc. The force of winds toppled vehicles and led to the closure of a stretch of US Route 77 in Sarita.

This is near the border with Mexico and the closure was to carry out rescue missions.

The fury of the winds flattened sugar cane fields and leveled trees. As it moved across the state, it lost its severity and the weather peopleanceled the storm surge warning for the coast. However, they cautioned about heavy rainfall in certain pockets. A spokesperson for the NHC said - "This rain will produce, life-threatening flash flooding, rapid rises on small streams, and isolated minor to moderate river flooding." The White House approved an emergency disaster declaration for Texas.

The hurricane season in the United States

Hurricanes are disastrous because they throw lives out of gear and leave behind a trail of damage.

At times, there's a loss of lives, properties, and the infrastructure. In recent times, the United States faced a number of them. In August 2017, it was Hurricane Harvey that made landfall in Texas. In September the same year, Hurricane Maria forced Puerto Rico into a humanitarian crisis. The next year, in September 2018, Hurricane Florence turned into a monster Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds.

Such climatic disorders damage the infrastructure, especially the power lines, and throw the region into darkness. These are times when Renewable Energy can come to the rescue. Communication links get disturbed and restoring them is a time consuming and costly affair. Moreover, flash floods lead to the evacuation of people to safety and loss of habitat for wildlife.
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