Sugar warehouse destroyed by Dolly

RIO HONDO - A 40,000-ton sugar warehouse that was under construction at the Port of Harlingen was destroyed Wednesday by Hurricane Dolly, Port Director Butch Palmer said Thursday.

The heavy steel framework, which had been under construction for about two months, was twisted and bent to the ground, Palmer said.

No one was present at the time the storm wrecked the construction site, Palmer said. Contractors probably will not be able to assess the damage for about two weeks because the site is inaccessible and there is no electric power for their tools, he said.

A grain silo and part of a building that belongs to Agro-Alliance also were damaged, Palmer said.

No tugboats or barges were in port at the time the store hit, he said.

The NuStar tank farm, where gasoline and diesel fuel are stored at the port, was not damaged by the hurricane, Palmer said.