BUILDING TORN APART - Strong winds just blew this building apart at Neuhaus and Company on 7th Street, also a telephone pole broke next to the structure. The building was shelter to some heavy equipment that was not damaged. The building was located next to the main showroom. Most folks didn't even know Hermine was coming, let alone how tough she would be when she got here.

Tropical Storm Hermine began as a low pressure system in the Bay of Campeche and moved quickly into the Gulf of Mexico where she drew a bead on South Texas.

She roared ashore near Brownsville about midnight Monday and by 2 a.m., stormed into Willacy County with wind gusts of almost hurricane force, 65 miles an hour and sustained winds of more than 50 mph.

Hermine ripped roofs off buildings in Raymondville, most notably at the John Deere tractor dealer, Neuhaus and Company, on South 7th Street. The corrigated metal building collapsed and will need to be replaced.

Several trees were uprooted, including one on East Hidalgo Ave., growing between the sidewalk and the street. The tree fell into the street and was removed several hours later.

The roof of the Best Rest Inn on Expressway 77 was heavily damaged and will need to be rebuilt.

Palm fonds were blown around and it will take a while to pick them up, but the city was lucky to get off so lightly from damages caused by the quick moving storm.

The biggest problem was power outages on the west side of Raymondville, between Seventh Street and First Street. The lights went out at about 1:30 a.m. and power was not restored until about 11 a.m.

Lyford was not so fortunate. The city lost power completely at the same time Raymondville did and it had not been restored at 5 p.m. Tuesday. All retail stores were shut down including the new Family Dollar Store which has been open less than a month.

In Raymonville, McDonald’s grand opening of its new store was postponed for a week in hopes of better weather. But, in fact, once the storm passed through in about an hour and a half, the rain stopped and Tuesday was a cloudy, sunny day in the Rio Grande Valley.

Willacy County was the hardest hit of the Valley counties, the rain and wind never made it as far west as McAllen, as it was expected to do. And there appeared to be little damage done in Brownsville, or Harlingen.

By 5 p.m. Tuesday, Hermine was already past San Antonio and Austin and bearing down on Brownwood, Texas, dumping rain along the way-- as much as four inches in some areas. It appears that the storm will pass west of the Dallas- Fort Worth Metroplex, before moving into the Wichita Falls area and then into Oklahoma.

Unlike previous storms, no one had time to board up windows, or buy emergency supplies. The editor did gas up two vehicles in case he had to make a fast escape, but when the storm hit it took so long to find a candle and a match to light it that the storm had already left Willacy behind.

Without modern convenience such as flashlights its almost like being a cave man waiting for the sun to come up.

Now is the time to prepare for Next Time, and its still early in September, traditionally the best time for hurricanes in South Texas, and after that we still have to worry about October.

According to Tommie Martin, executive director of the Sebastian Municipal Utility District, that community was pretty much unscathed by Tropical Storm Hermine.

Martin said broken tree limbs and some standing water were the only problems created by the storm. Much of Sebastian is in low lying areas and the county plans to make drainage improvements there with grant funds from Hurrican Dolly.

Electric power was restored to about 700 families in Lyford Tuesday evening some 20 hours after the tropical storm cut service to the entire community.

Some families in the rural areas of the county served by Magic Valley Electric were still without electricity late Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

Crews from CPL/AEP and Magic Valley worked hard in 24-hour shifts to restore power and are doing a great job those with power restored believe.

And storm water drainage in Raymondville was superb. When the storm hit Tuesday night rain was coming down by the bucketful and Channel 5 Weatherman Tim Smith estimated the rate at 10 inches per hour, although the heaviest rain didn't last that long.

Students at schools in Willacy County got an extended Labor Day holiday. Rather than the 3-day observance, it turned into 4 days as Raymondville, Lyford, Sebastian and San Perlita schools were closed. Lasara ISD also dismissed students. All were expected to be back in classes on Wednesday.