MIAMI, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Hermine lashed out in deep southern Texas, dumping heavy rains and bringing strong winds to the coast, forecasters said Tuesday.

Hermine, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, was about 15 miles south-southeast of Falfurrias, Texas, and about 65 miles southwest of Corpus Christi, Texas, moving in a north-northwesterly direction at 17 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 5 a.m. (EDT) advisory.

The center said tornadoes were possible across portions of southeast Texas Tuesday.

The area around Brownsville, Texas, could get up to 3 inches of rain an hour as the main bands of Hermine's eye moved over the area, the Brownsville Herald reported.

Flash flood warnings were in effect overnight into Tuesday morning for many counties in south Texas, officials said. Hermine could dump 4 to 8 inches of rain over parts of Texas into central and eastern Oklahoma, the NHC said.

The rain was forecast to spread northeastward across southeastern Kansas, northwestern Arkansas and Missouri during the next few days, the center said.

Brownsville City Commissioner Melissa Zamora said power outages were reported in portions of the city, including University of Texas at Brownsville, Texas Southmost College and the Port of Brownsville.

Numerous trees and signs were reported down throughout the city.

Forecasters said they expected Hermine to weaken during the next 48 hours, becoming a tropical depression by Tuesday evening.