Emily Descends On South Texas

Outer Bands of Hurricane Hit State; Residents Brace For More

(CBS/AP)  Hurricane Emily's outer bands began lashing the southern tip of Texas on Tuesday, causing giant tides that quickly swallowed this resort island's beaches while forcing residents to board up windows and stock up on sandbags.

But the rain, strong winds, and huge waves were just too much to pass up for many on South Padre Island, including some tourists who had never experienced such surf before.

"It is amazing," said Marc Lambert, a tourist from New York who spent two hours boogie-boarding before the storm. "It is cool to see what Mother Nature can do. Hopefully she don't get too mad."

The hurricane's center was expected to make landfall in northeastern Mexico early Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said. Texas was not in the storm's direct path, but residents were bracing for the worst.

"If they tell us to leave, we'll leave. We're not going to be that stubborn," said Jerilyn Howell.

So far, the only ones ordered out are about 600 recreational vehicles, vulnerable to high winds, reports CBS News Correspondent Kelly Cobiella (video).

The big question remained whether Emily would turn west toward Mexico or continue on a northwesterly track toward Texas' coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

Either way, Cameron County emergency management coordinator Tom Hushen said Emily's winds and rain were expected to begin impacting South Texas as soon as Tuesday afternoon.

"We stress the point that it still looks like it is going to go south of us, but there is always the potential," Hushen said. "We are all praying for that turn, but we have to be cautious. We have to look at the safety of the citizens."

Residents in Cameron county, which neighbors the Mexican border and sits on the Gulf Coast, were told if they didn't feel safe in their homes, they could go to one of three shelters that opened Tuesday at local schools. Hushen said additional shelters would open if needed.

By Tuesday, 90,000 sandbags had been distributed, windows boarded up on some homes and businesses and RVs at a beachside park on South Padre Island evacuated.

Hushen said RV and trailer owners who refused to leave were urged to at least tie down their mobile homes. Late Monday, about two dozen trailers and RVs remained in the park that once had 600.

Emily slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday as a Category 4 storm that ripped roofs off resort hotels, stranded thousands of tourists and caused flooding.