Hurricane Dean reached Category 2 strength before making a second landfall today over the Gulf Coast of Mexico. The storm is weakening as it moves inland; however, heavy rain could result in dangerous flash flooding and mudslides. Meanwhile, catastrophic flooding continues today across the central Plains and Midwest as a train of thunderstorms move across the region.

The Hurricane Center reports Dean made landfall at 11:30 a.m. CDT near Tecolutla, Mexico, roughly 40 miles south-southeast of Tuxpan along the central Mexican coast.

At 1 p.m. CDT, Dean's eye was over land near Poza Rica, Mexico, moving west at 19 mph.

At landfall, Dean was a minimal Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph with higher gusts. By 1 p.m. CDT, the sustained winds had diminished to near 85 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extend out about 70 miles from the storm's center, while tropical-storm-force winds are being felt as much as 275 miles from the eye of Dean.

Coastal areas and central Mexico today will continue to be pounded by the wind and torrential rain. As much as 5 to 10 inches of rain is forecast, along with storm surge flooding up to 8 feet above normal tide levels north of Tuxpan.

Dean will be ripped apart as it moves over the 12 thousand-foot peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains. The rain will intensify, with up to 20 inches possible in the higher elevations leading to life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

Dean made its first landfall at about 4:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday near the port city of Majuhual, Mexico, just north of the border of Belize and Mexico. Maximum sustained winds at landfall were near 165 mph with gusts approaching 200 mph.

Residents stand next to a destroyed hut in Limones, southeastern Mexico, in the Yucatan peninsula after Hurricane Dean hit the area, Tuesday, Aug. 21 2007. (AP Photo/ Eduardo Verdugo)

Dean was the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall since Hurricane Andrew destroyed South Florida in 1992.

There have been no reports of storm-related deaths across the Yucatan Peninsula. However, poor communications and impassable roads have made it difficult to determine the extent of the damage in isolated Mayan communities in the Yucatan jungle. At least 13 people were killed as Dean tore through the Caribbean.

Dean had little impact on U.S. oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico; however, it has virtually shut down Mexico's oil production in the Bay of Campeche. Pemex spokeswoman Celina Torres Uribe tells AccuWeather.com that 407 oil and gas wells in the bay have been shut down, shutting in 2.65 million barrels of crude oil and 2.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily.

Pemex said early today it was too soon to tell if energy installations in Campeche Sound had suffered damage from the storm.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service reported Tuesday personnel have been evacuated from 34 oil production platforms and 21 natural gas rigs, shutting-in roughly 3.4 percent of the oil production and less than 2 percent of natural gas production in the Gulf.

The Southwest Regional News story reports some rain and strong surf from Dean today will reach the South Texas coast. By the weekend, tropical rainstorm Dean could move into the Desert Southwest, increasing thunderstorm activity from Southern California to southwest New Mexico.

The Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical wave located north of the Lesser Antilles. Currently, clusters of thunderstorms surrounding the disturbance are disorganized and tropical development is not likely in the next day or two.

Moisture from tropical rainstorm Erin has sparked catastrophic flooding across the Plains and Midwest. According to Associated Press, at least 22 people have been killed and thousands of homes damaged in floods from Oklahoma to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ohio.

The Severe Weather Center has up-to-date information on flood-related watches and warnings across the Plains and Midwest.

The Midwest Regional News story reports a train of storms through Friday will spark heavy rain, hail and damaging winds from the Front Range of Colorado to the Great Lakes.

With more rain forecast over the next 24 to 36 hours, river levels in the Ohio Valley could reach catastrophic levels. Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell analyzes the record and near-record flooding in the Ohio River Valley.