Tropical Storm Hermine spreads strong winds, heavy rains through Texas

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Hermine pummeled southern Texas Tuesday morning, packing torrential rains and damaging winds, along with the possibility of tornadoes.

As of 8 a.m. ET, the center of Hermit was located about 35 miles (60 kilometers) southwest of Mathis, Texas, and about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Corpus Christi, Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm's maximum sustained winds were about 45 mph (75 kph) with higher gusts, and the storm was moving north-northwest at near 17 mph (28 kph).

Additional weakening is forecast, and Hermine is expected to become a tropical depression later Tuesday.

A wind gust of 56 mph (91 kph) was reported at Kingsville, Texas, just before 7 a.m. ET, forecasters said. Footage from CNN affiliate KTRK in Galveston, Texas, showed huge waves hammering the coastline.

"Tropical storm conditions are occurring over portions of deep South Texas," the weather agency said. "These conditions will continue to spread northward across portions of southern Texas near and along the path of Hermine through this morning."

A storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet along southern Texas, but water levels will begin to recede later Tuesday as Hermine moves farther inland, forecasters said. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center of the storm, mainly to the northeast.

Isolated tornadoes are possible across portions of southeast Texas, according to the Hurricane Center.

Joseph Tomaselli, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Brownsville, Texas, said fallen trees, signs, power lines and power poles were reported throughout Brownsville and Cameron County on Tuesday morning. Tomaselli said flooding in Brownsville and Cameron County has also been reported.

KTRK showed images of palm trees swaying and rain flying sideways as water rushed down streets on South Padre Island, Texas.

A tropical storm warning is in effect from the mouth of the Rio Grande north to Port O'Connor, Texas.

Hermine could dump 4 to 8 inches of rain over parts of Texas as well as central and eastern Oklahoma. In isolated areas, the storm could leave up to 12 inches of rain. The Hurricane Center expects rain to spread across southeastern Kansas, northwestern Arkansas and Missouri over the next few days.