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Friday, July 25, 2008

Hello, Dolly — Or Not?

By Journal Staff Report
Journal Staff Report
       Maybe Dolly will pay a visit after all.
    New Mexicans should prepare for the possibility of serious rainstorms across the state this weekend as the remnants of Hurricane Dolly drift into the region, according to the National Weather Service.
    There is a chance for as much as 3 inches of rain in the hardest-hit areas, with flooding possible in areas already soaked by summer rains.
    "How much of this moisture will work up into the state is still in question," said Weather Service forecaster Dan Porter during a Thursday afternoon briefing for New Mexico emergency managers and the news media.
    Earlier this week, predictions were for the hurricane to play out in northern Mexico.
    At Thursday's briefing, Porter had said southern and western New Mexico, especially the state's southwestern mountains, were the most likely target.
    But, by late Thursday, the storm had begun drifting farther to the east, suggesting that central New Mexico could take a direct hit by Saturday, according to the Weather Service.
    Dolly's remains were fragmenting Thursday afternoon and dumping rain in Mexico.