Hurricane Dolly made its way into South Texas and northern Mexico on Wednesday, flooding the Rio Grande Valley with rain, knocking out power in hundreds of homes and tearing down the roofs of resorts on South Padre Island. Although initially, when Dolly reached land at South Padre Island, winds had a speed of 100 miles per hour — making it a Category 2 storm, they fell down to 70 miles per hour, downgrading the hurricane to a tropical storm.

The local officials’ worst fears did not take shape. According to state and local officials, the dams scattered along the Rio Grande held and no major flooding was registered. The force of the storm stream did not rushed up the river.

"The levees are holding up just fine, and the river level hasn't risen too much," said Johnny Cavazos, the emergency management coordinator for Cameron County, at the state's southern tip.

Some officials are still worried about the colossal amount of rain the storm would deliver — up to 20 inches in some places. This amount could inflate the river and cause levee breaches in the following days.

A 17-year-old boy suffered severe injuries on South Padre Island after he was blown from a seventh-floor balcony of the Lighthouse Condominiums. The boy survived, but has a broken leg, a smashed hip and a head injury.

In Brownsville, high winds knocked out power and toppled oaks around the county courthouse. For most of the day, winds howled and trees bent and danced crazily under leaden skies. Thick rain whipped sideways through the warm tropical air, pelting the pavement and pooling at intersections.

According to Brownsville officials, the storm damaged several important power lines, including a major line running into the city. More than 80,000 people in four counties remained without power, affecting refrigeration systems and, in Brownsville, the sewerage system. An official with the American Electric Power said crews would start working to restore power as soon as the storm cleared, but it could take two or three days.

Late in the afternoon, state search and rescue teams in helicopters inspected poor neighborhoods in low-lying areas along the Rio Grande, many of which lack basic services. The crews reported no serious flooding, nor did they encounter the necessity of a rescue mission, said Governor Rick Perry, who asked the White House to declare the affected counties a U.S. disaster area.

As night fell, reports of minor flooding spilled in from towns spread along the border, especially Rio Hondo, Combes and Harlingen. A minimum 60 people who were nailed in houses in Cameron County because of the rising waters asked county officials help to reach shelters. Officials sent out trucks and boats.

Local officials said it might be impossible to estimate the full extent of the wreckage the storm caused until Thursday afternoon, but the preliminary assessments indicate that the most serious damage was focused on South Padre Island, Port Isabel and in Rio Hondo.

More than 4,000 people, mostly residing in the low-lying areas along the river and the coast, crammed into schools for shelter.