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MSNBC and AP

MATAMOROS, Mexico — Hurricane Alex weakened to a tropical storm with 50 mph winds Thursday as it moved fartherinland over northeastern Mexico, dumping heavy rains that flooded several areas.

Moreover, southern Texas was warned of twisters. “Isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of extreme southern Texas today,” the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Rain from the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic season flooded about 80 percent of the port city of Matamoros, sent uprooted trees crashing down on parked cars and forced thousands to flee low-lying fishing villages.

Inland in the industrial city of Monterrey, at least two people were killed by Alex’s rains, which washed away cars, bridges and some houses and turned dry desert beds into turbulent rivers.

“The damage is enormous, a river burst its banks and we have people trapped on the roofs of their houses,” said Mayor Martin Zamarripa of the town of Hualahuises outside Monterrey.

In Matamoros, city official Saul Hernandez Bautista said at least 400 neighborhoods were flooded, some with 12 inches of water and at least 2,500 people were in shelters, mostly people evacuated from lowing lying regions outside the city.

Trees were uprooted and electrical posts were down. Hernandez said there were no known injuries or deaths in the Matamoros area but he did not know about the area farther south where the eye of the storm hit.

“The damages are incalculable. The city is practically under water,” Hernandez said. “But the most important thing is that there was no loss of life. We took important and opportune measures to evacuate people.”

To the west of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon Gov. Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz said the storm had already dumped 16 inches of rain in some areas. He ordered all schools closed and appealed for people to stay home from all but essential jobs. Medina said at least 2,300 people had been evacuated.

Alex made landfall late Wednesday at Soto La Marina, Mexico. The storm ripped off roofs, flooded streets and forced thousands of people to flee coastal fishing villages in northern Mexico.

Read more of this story at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38030564/ns/weather/

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