Hurricane Dolly, projected to be the strongest storm to hit theUS since Hurricane Wilma in 2005, is forecasted to make a landfalljust east of Brownsville, Texas as a Category 2 hurricane withsustained winds of around 100 mph later today. The storm isexpected to directly affect more than 500,000 people, causing wind,rain, and storm surge damage.

Dolly's winds are expected to be especially destructive. Poorlyconstructed buildings in the coastal region face a significant riskof structural damage and will likely be subjected to poweroutages.

Meteorologists anticipate that due to the unusually slowprogress Dolly is making towards the mainland, it is likely thatthe most lethal facet of Dolly will be the potential flooding, as 6to 12 inches of rain is expected in locations south of CorpusChristi through Brownsville and into northern Mexico.

Some areas can expect to see even more rain, like the northernMexican mountains, which may get as much as 15 inches. The NationalHurricane Center (NHC) also warned that Dolly could cause coastalstorm-surge flooding of four-to-six feet above normal levels nearand to the north of where the storm's center makes landfall.

As of 1 p.m. EST today, the Weather Channel reported that theextreme South Texas region had already received 6 inches of rain inthe past 24 hours.

Hurricane warnings are in effect from Rio San Fernando in Mexiconorthward to Corpus Christi, Texas. Tropical storm warningssurround the hurricane warning area, with tropical storm warningsin effect in Mexico between Le Pesca and Rio San Fernando (where ahurricane watch is also in effect), and between Corpus Christi andPort O'Connor, Texas.

The US Census Bureau said that based on Dolly's projected path,about 1.5 million Texans could feel the storm's effects.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has activated 1,200 National Guardtroops and other emergency crews in anticipation of the storm'sarrival, but no mandatory evacuations have been ordered. Emergencyofficials said they were particularly concerned about the amount ofrain Dolly is forecasted to bring to flood-prone areas in theregion.

Offshore, reports said oil workers from rigs in the western Gulfof Mexico have been evacuated, but analysts said Dolly appearedlikely to pass south and west of the biggest concentration of U.S.platforms. The impact on production is expected to be limited.

More information and a map of the storm is available in GuyCarpenter's catastrophe information report. [PDF]

Story updated at 1:44 p.m. EST.