Tropical Storm Edouard came ashore along the northwestern Gulf Coast Tuesday afternoon near the Texas–Louisiana border, bringing concentrated tropical-storm force winds, heavy rainfall and the risk of coastal and inland flooding across portions of southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana.
Center near Port Arthur as storm moves inland
The National Hurricane Center said the center of Edouard was located just offshore near the state line before moving inland, with forecasters expecting the center to cross the coastline shortly. Local reports placed the center about 15 miles south-southeast of Port Arthur at one point.
Advisories showed maximum sustained-wind estimates in the range of tropical-storm strength. The National Hurricane Center bulletin cited winds of about 50 mph in one update, while an Associated Press report noted the storm had maximum sustained winds near 60 mph as it approached the coast. Forecasters cautioned that stronger gusts were possible and that the storm would weaken rapidly once its center moved inland.
Rainfall the larger threat
Although wind headlines attention, officials emphasized that heavy rain and flash flooding present the most significant hazards. The hurricane center forecasted a swath of 3 to 6 inches of rain across the Upper Texas Coast inland through east-central Texas, with isolated pockets possibly receiving up to 9 inches. Far southwestern Louisiana was expected to receive smaller amounts.
"That rainfall could produce some flash flooding and river flooding," said Brad Reinhart, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center.
The storm remained relatively compact, with tropical-storm–force winds extending roughly 25 miles from the center. That means the strongest winds and immediate coastal impacts will be focused close to where the center crosses the coast.
- Primary hazards: heavy rainfall, flash flooding, some river flooding and localized coastal flooding.
- Wind exposure: strongest within about 25 miles of the storm center; gusts could exceed sustained winds.
- Storm evolution: rapid weakening expected after landfall, but flooding risk will continue as tropical moisture moves inland.
| Forecast element | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum sustained winds | Reported between 50–60 mph in advisories and reports |
| Rainfall | 3–6 inches likely; isolated up to 9 inches |
| Wind field | Tropical-storm winds extending about 25 miles from center |
State and local officials in Texas were preparing for flooding impacts. Gov. Greg Abbott's office and the Texas Division of Emergency Management indicated crews were deployed and that clearing of dry vegetation was underway in some areas to reduce secondary risks from lightning-started fires as storms moved through.
Residents in low-lying and urban areas should expect rapidly rising water in poorly drained neighborhoods and the potential for localized street and river flooding. Even as winds abate after the storm moves inland, the risk of flash flooding can persist as the system's moisture spreads farther into east-central Texas.
News Block will continue to monitor official updates from the National Hurricane Center, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and local counties as Edouard progresses inland and emergency actions evolve.
