Tropical Storm Edouard Makes Landfall in Louisiana
Tropical Storm Edouard came ashore near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, on Tuesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain, storm surge and flash flooding to the upper Texas and southwestern Louisiana coasts as it tracks inland.
Edouard Comes Ashore With 60 mph Winds
Edouard made landfall roughly 15 miles south-southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, at 3:20 p.m. EDT, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and a minimum central pressure of 996 mb, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm jogged slightly west just before landfall, briefly delaying its arrival, and strengthened in the hours beforehand as it approached the coast.
Edouard developed quickly, moving from a cluster of thunderstorms in the northern Gulf on Friday evening to a full-blown tropical storm by Monday afternoon, strengthening from a Potential Tropical Cyclone to a named storm within about nine hours.
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect along the northwestern Gulf Coast from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish line in Louisiana, while a Hurricane Watch covers the stretch from High Island, Texas, to Cameron, Louisiana. A Storm Surge Warning is also in effect for the same High Island-to-Vermilion/Cameron area, with 3 to 5 feet of surge possible there and 1 to 3 feet expected from the parish line to Morgan City, Louisiana.
Edouard is a compact storm, with tropical-storm-force winds extending only about 25 miles from its center, meaning the heaviest rain will likely stay fairly localized rather than spreading broadly.
Flash Flooding Threat Continues Into Wednesday
The NHC expects Edouard to bring heavy rain through Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, raising the risk of flash flooding across the region. Widespread rainfall of 3 to 6 inches is forecast across the upper Texas coast and east-central Texas, with localized totals up to 9 inches possible through Wednesday. Southwestern Louisiana can expect roughly 2 to 4 inches.
The Houston metro area faces a Level 2 out of 4 flash flooding risk through Wednesday morning, as does part of southwestern Louisiana, including Lake Charles. A Level 3 flood threat covers parts of Southeast Texas's Piney Woods and Big Thicket regions, including Beaumont and Livingston. The National Weather Service warned that low-lying and urban areas face the greatest risk, and river flooding is also possible along Edouard's track. A tornado or two remains possible Tuesday afternoon as the storm moves ashore.
Rainfall rates as high as 4 inches per hour were recorded over Port Arthur just after landfall, with additional heavy rain expected. Galveston Independent School District canceled classes Tuesday ahead of the storm's arrival.
What's Next
Flooding could extend well north of Houston into Wednesday depending on how quickly Edouard moves inland, with a Level 2 flood threat stretching along the Interstate 45 corridor from northeast Houston to Corsicana and west to College Station. Residents across the affected region should continue monitoring official updates as the storm tracks inland through the week.
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