BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP):

Hurricane Dolly barrelled into southern Texas yesterday, lashing the coast with winds up to 100 mph (160 kph) and dumping heavy rain that threatened to flood low-lying areas.

Despite the intensity, the storm spared levees in the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley.

Authorities had feared the first hurricane to hit the US since last September could produce up to 20 inches (50 centimetres) of rain in some areas, possibly breaching levees in the Rio Grande Valley. But shortly before coming ashore, the Category 2 storm meandered 35 miles (56 kilometres) north of the border, veering away from the flood walls.