Tropical Storm Hanna upgrades to a hurricane, bringing heavy rain to Houston

By Rebecca Hennes

Updated

5:16 pm CDT, Saturday, July 25, 2020

5 p.m. update:

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration Saturday for 32 counties facing Hurricane Hanna, the Houston Chronicle reported. 

The storm poses a strong threat to Texas’ coastal bend after upgrading to a hurricane Saturday morning with winds up to 70 miles per hour and gusts up to 90 miles per hour. Read more on the storm and find continuing coverage on HoustonChronicle.com. 

9 a.m.

Heavy rains from Hurricane Hanna have hit the Houston area and a tornado watch could be issued later on Saturday as the storm moves through the lower Texas coast, according to the National Weather Service.

8:50am Radar Update: A rain band from Hurricane #Hanna is currently moving through the City of Houston. Expect gusty winds and brief heavy rainfall with this band. #HOUwx #TXwx pic.twitter.com/r58hd4No4n

— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) July 25, 2020

The tropical storm upgraded to a hurricane Saturday morning with 75 mph winds. Gusty winds and brief heavy rainfall are expected to continue in Houston throughout the day.

Hanna is expected to make landfall between Corpus Christi and Brownsville later today. The rain could bring flash flooding for the south and southwestern portions of the region, per the NWS.

This is a developing story.