The story

Once a monster Category 5 hurricane, Dean was downgraded to a tropical depression Wednesday evening as it rapidly lost strength after battering Mexico's eastern coast.

But the storm continued to be dangerous as it diminished. Heavy rain could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in parts of southern and central Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. Up to 20 inches of rain could fall in some areas, it said.

That possibility was a big concern in Tuxpan -- about 45 miles north of where Dean made landfall -- where officials said that the Tuxpan River was flowing backward -- inland, rather than toward the ocean. Read full article »

CNN's Rob Marciano, Suzanne Malveaux and Monica Trevino contributed to this report.

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