In South Padre Island there a number of precautions are being been taken as Hurricane Dean brews in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

The beaches aren't packed, but they're far from empty with vacationers finding some comfort in weather reports predicting the storm will hit south of Texas in Mexico.

“We watched the reports for the last 48 hours,” said tourist Ronnie Moseley. “In fact, we changed our (plans) to go to San Antonio to get away from it. Then we decided at the last minute to head south.”

While some visitors are expressing little concern about Dean's fury, the threat of the storm whether real or imagined has not been good for business.

“It's about half of what we usually get. I get calls on the phone when they make reservations,” said hotel worker Noe Martinez. “And a lot of cancellations because people are frightened by the story. So the numbers have dropped a lot. I can tell you that.”

On the way down to South Padre 11 News passed a National Guard convoy that's standing by about an hour way. Scores of buses have also been placed on standby.

Officials in Cameron County said if anything it is over prepared, but adds that it beats the alternative. And the county says now is no time for complacency.

Still, if a hurricane is forming in the Gulf, you'd never know it by looking at South Padre's sun kissed beaches.

In Harlingen, 30 miles inland, plywood has been flying off the shelves as residents prepare.

“We've been going thru a pallet every 15 minutes, (that’s) 80 pieces per pallet,” said Lowe’s employee Silver Garcia. “It's been going pretty quick.”

“I know that we've learned our lesson with the Katrina situation over in Louisiana,” said Harlingen resident Leo Araguz. “You don't want to take any chances and right now it may be up to a Category five. 

“With Mother Nature, you don't fool around.