Tropical Storm Edouard Closes In on Texas and Louisiana
Forecasters warned of heavy rain, flash flooding and a possible storm surge as Edouard moved toward the northwest Gulf coast on Tuesday.
A Storm Nearing the Gulf Coast
Tropical Storm Edouard approached the Gulf of Mexico coast early Tuesday with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometres per hour, or 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, the United States agency that tracks tropical systems.
The two sources describe its position slightly differently. CNN reported the storm was about 137 kilometres southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, moving west-northwest at 11 kilometres per hour. AP News placed it roughly 100 kilometres south-southeast of Cameron and 145 kilometres southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, moving west-northwest at 13 kilometres per hour.
AP News reported that Edouard was still a tropical depression as of Monday night. CNN said the system formed with little warning and could approach hurricane strength before reaching the coast, then move inland over southeast Texas on Tuesday night and weaken quickly.
Warnings Along the Coast
A hurricane warning stretched from High Island, Texas, to Cameron, Louisiana, CNN reported. A tropical storm warning covered the area from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the line between Vermilion and Iberia parishes in Louisiana.
A storm surge warning was also in force from High Island to the Vermilion and Cameron parish line, where CNN reported a potentially life threatening surge of 0.9 to 1.5 metres above normally dry ground was possible. Further east, as far as Morgan City, Louisiana, the surge could reach 0.3 to 0.9 metres.
Edouard's outer rain bands were already reaching the southern Louisiana coast, bringing heavy rain from Lafayette and New Iberia toward the shore. CNN said the combination of strong winds and heavy rain could bring down trees and cut power.
Flooding as the Main Threat
Both publications identified rainfall, not wind, as the biggest danger. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said flooding was the main problem expected from the storm, AP News reported.
Forecasters expected 7 to 15 centimetres of rain in the Houston metropolitan area, rising to 22 centimetres in parts of the upper Texas coast, according to AP News. CNN reported totals of 75 to 150 millimetres from the northern Texas coast into the east-central part of the state, with up to 230 millimetres in places.
Rainfall rates of more than 10 centimetres per hour were possible, the National Hurricane Center said, enough to cause flash flooding in low lying and urban areas. CNN reported a level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain across southeast Texas for both Tuesday and Wednesday, including Houston on Tuesday.
Preparations and Other Systems
"This is our first big storm of the season and, I tell you, Texas is ready," said Orlando Alanis of the Texas Division of Emergency Management at a press conference, as quoted by AP News. Abbott said crews worked on Monday to clear dry vegetation that could catch fire from lightning strikes.
Elsewhere, the remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly brought rain and thunderstorms to parts of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Lowell was about 1,015 kilometres southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, on Monday night and was forecast to become a major hurricane by Wednesday, while Tropical Storm Marie formed off southwest Mexico and posed no threat to land.
The sources do not report any damage, injuries or evacuation orders, and it is not yet known where or exactly when Edouard made landfall.
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