chelsea torrez from our affiliate kirs is on north padre island. >> since hann as become a hurricane, she's strengthened tremendously, the winds are intensifying, the rain increasing the storm surge has been something we've been watching heavily and it's become more aggressive. >> texas already under siege with covid-19, with more than 380,000 cases statewide. >> just because a hurricane comes to the state does not m local governments fear hanna could wipe out electricity. >> we've done everything we could leading up to this to make sure that we have plenty of ppe for anybody that's going to be moved is going to be treated as if they have covid. >> reporter: at the same time waters are surging in texas, hawaii prepares for hurricane douglas, expected to weaken to a category 1 when it arrives sunday. >> we do anticipate significant wind, rain, flooding impact. >> reporter: across two oceans in the gulf of mexico, a critical test in the collision of coronavirus and storm season sam brock, nbc news. >>> let's bring in meteorologist david yeomans from kxan. you're on north padre island, h

this is north padre island.of the atlantic hurricane season. this is going to be storm hannah and according to the experts at the us national hurricane centre which is an organisation we are always quoting at this time of year, they are very busy there and they follow and track the movements of these storms very closely. they say storm hannah is located about 90 miles, about 144 kilometres east north—east of port mansfield in texas. this is north padre island, it has got its own period there which you couldn't see in that shot. before the sea started to get so choppy. hannah will make landfall but according to the national hurricane centre it will weaken between 90 mph when it hits land for some time over the weekend so it is likely not to cause as much damage as other storms, but even so, a reminder that for people as if they don't know, they know what comes at this time of the year and the hurricane season is now upon us in the atlantic. when a manchester hotel advertised for a receptionist on monday, the owne

joining me now from north padre island is the meteorologist for kxan in austin. we are watching the winds whip you around. what is the latest now and when is it expected to hit landfall? >> reporter: good afternoon. just within several hours from right now is the answer to your question. this as you mention is a first storm and the first hurricane of the atlantic hurricane season. already a record busy year. just a few hours from now this will be the first hurricane to make landfall on the texas coast since hurricane harvey nearly three full years ago. we are just 15 miles from the outer edge of the eye of hurricane hanna. she has intensified rapidly in the past 24 hours going from a 45-mile-per-hour manageable tropical storm into a solid hurricane with 80-mile-per-hour sustained winds and some signs she may keep intensifying a bit further. you mentioned the storm surge. we are elevated far off of the sea right here. we actually had to move from our previous location which got flooded out as the sea continues to rise. we've got a tide gig down the way five or six

force winds already being seen along south padre island where swells are expected to increase and affect much of the texas and louisiana coast. back with us from north padre island in texas is david yellman, meteorologist for kxas in austin. i see in the last hour, that storm surge even higher right now. >> reporter: it is, yeah, and we have had some spectators coming on and off at this look out point, hiding behind a shelter where my photographer is right now. we have significant sustained tropical storm force winds of about 50 miles per hour, and we have had gusts up to almost 70 miles per hour, which is close to hurricane force, kind of making it hard to stand at times, as this rapidly intensify hurricane, it gained 35 miles per hour of wind speed at its core in the last 24 hours, moved toward a location just south of us. we're kind of receiving the brunt right now of the northern eye wall which means the wind is coming right on shore from the gulf of mexico. they're just piling in this water, piling in these waves which have been well overhead here behind me. we have a storm surge gauge which shows that the ocean right now is about 6 feet above

the storm hit about 15 miles north on padre island. maximum sustained winds up to 90 miles-an-hour. casey stegall ask live for us. >> breaking tonight as well, the texas governor abbott just issued a disaster declaration because the impacts of this storm are being felt across a very large area of south texas. authorities have been out in full force warning people to seek shelter. this is the scene in port mansfield texas where winds have been clocked at 08 to 90 miles-per-hour -- 80 to 90 miles-per-hour. residents have spent the last few days boarding up their homes and moving their boats to higher ground. as you said moments ago, hanna made landfall over south padre island. according to locals on the ground there, storm surge has already started to cover some roadways. local energy companies are reporting more than 36,000 power outages across the whole region. emergency shelters have been set up. but it's also an area that's been recently hit hard with new coronavirus infections. so officials have this warning. >> be prepared to take items with you, like soap, hand sanitizer, disin

over a foot of rain on the padre island where it made landfall. we have tropical storm warnings north all the way to border of mexico. flash flooding overnight. another six inches possible on top of what's already fallen. with landfalling hurricanes of this nature, we look for the potential of spin-up tornados and water spouts. of course, tornados that are over water. good news here. the storm system's expected to dissipate. kind of rain itself out, over the next 36 hours across northeastern sections of mexico. now, that's not the only system we are monitoring. another disturbance that's moved off the west coast of africa has a high probability of development over the next five days. we are going to look out for that impact in the caribbean over the next few -- few days. now, check this out. this is hurricane douglas. it's going to beeline towards the hawaiian islands. you can see the tropical storm warning in place but i want you to notice the island of oahu, under a hurricane warning so we do anticipate gusty winds there, in excess of hufr carricane for buckle up, michael. >> good t