Stormy weather in Brownsville is blamed for toppling a tree that some believers claimed to have an image of the Virgin Mary on the bark.
Flowers, notes and other offerings were often left by the cottonwood tree, which drew attention in the past two decades for what some say was a religious image.
City crews Tuesday worked to remove the tree, in downtown Brownsville, after strong winds and rain hours earlier brought it down.
The National Weather Service says thunderstorms Tuesday led to more than an inch of rain dumped in Brownsville, Harlingen and Weslaco. Winds up to 50 miles an hour were reported in Brownsville.
