Tropical Storm Edouard Closes on the Texas Coast Under a Hurricane Watch

Tropical Storm Edouard is closing on the upper Texas coast. Overnight the National Hurricane Center raised a hurricane watch from High Island, Texas to Cameron, Louisiana. Forecasters placed the center about 120 miles southeast of Cameron near daybreak on September 1, moving west-northwest at 7 mph with top sustained winds of 40 mph. Those winds are expected to reach 60 mph before the center moves inland over southeast Texas tonight. Every figure here is a snapshot from this morning that is expected to climb through the day.

For most households the danger is water rather than wind. Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches is forecast along the upper Texas coast, with isolated totals near 9 inches where the heaviest bands stall over Houston and Galveston. A storm surge warning of 3 to 5 feet runs from High Island to the Vermilion and Cameron parish line. A separate tropical storm warning reaches from Port Bolivar east into south-central Louisiana.

Houston sits high on the list of cities most at risk of floods, where flat ground and paved bayous move water into streets fast. Households inside the warning area still have daylight hours to prepare for a hurricane before the first outer bands arrive. That window covers the simple work: charging devices, filling water containers, and moving vehicles to higher ground.

The steps that matter most are unglamorous. Sandbags placed before the rain buy time at doors and low garage thresholds. A clear plan for when a flash flood strikes keeps a family out of moving water. Never drive through a flooded roadway, because a foot of water can float most cars.

Edouard should weaken quickly once it moves inland. Its rain will outlast its wind, so river flooding may keep rising for days after the sky clears. That back half of the storm is where the aftermath of a hurricane becomes the real test, from water safety to food checks once the power flickers. If you live along this coast, take ten minutes today to top off water, fuel, and phone batteries while the stores are still calm. Be Prepared Not Scared.