Up to 21 Inches of Rain Trigger Flash Flooding Emergencies in Texas
Tropical Storm Edouard came ashore along the Texas Gulf Coast on Tuesday, triggering flooding rainfall and widespread power outages. Here is the latest on the third tropical storm to make landfall in the U.S. in 2026.
Latest Update on Former Tropical Storm Edouard
Edouard made a direct landfall near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana on Tuesday afternoon. The storm strengthened shortly before landfall as it spun through the exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf, going from a tropical rainstorm on Sunday to a named storm on Monday.
Maximum sustained winds hit speeds of 60 mph in the hours before coming ashore. Edouard joins Tropical Storm Arthur and Tropical Storm Bertha on the list of named features to make a U.S. landfall this year. Both of these storms also made landfall along this stretch of the Gulf Coast.
Edouard weakened into a tropical depression by late Tuesday as it moved farther inland. However, what was left of the storm was still dumping heavy rain across parts of Texas.
The community of Beaumont was hit particularly hard by Edouard's wrath. Widespread power outages were the story for southeastern Texas. The number of outages hit a peak of 82,000 by the time that the sun went down on Tuesday. There were still 71,000 customers without power on Wednesday.
A preliminary top wind gust of 90 mph was notched in Port Arthur, Texas. Gusts of 71 mph at Texas Point and 67 mph in both Beaumont and Nederland were also recorded during the height of the wind activity.
The potent bands of tropical moisture associated with Edouard quickly flooded roadways in Port Arthur. The town of Taylor Landing in Texas experienced downed power lines and trees as the winds were whipping around.
Over a dozen school districts in Texas were forced to cancel classes on Wednesday because of the damage, flooding, and power outages.
What is Next for Texas as Edouard Fades?
Forecasters are warning that the flooding danger is not over yet. Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 8 inches are in the forecast for much of the upper Texas coast heading into Thursday. This includes the densely populated area in and around Houston. A band of 8 to 12 inches will be the story for the zone just to the east of Houston by the time that the moisture machine wraps up.
Hardin and Tyler counties have picked up the most rain thus far. Between 10 and 21 inches have been recorded across these counties, with more moisture on the way.
The latest forecast models signal that several bands of tropical moisture will continue to flow up from the Gulf through the end of the week. This steady stream of precipitation will add to the already impressive rainfall totals.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated the Texas Division of Emergency Management to respond to the disaster and to help assess storm damage. In addition, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said that it was anticipating heightened electrical demand as temperatures continue to soar across the Lone Star State thanks to a stubborn heat dome.
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