Tropical Storm Edouard nears Texas and Louisiana coasts

Tropical Storm Edouard strengthened over the Gulf of Mexico early Tuesday as it moved toward the Texas and Louisiana coasts, prompting warnings that parts of the region could face near-hurricane conditions, heavy rain and dangerous flooding later in the day.

The National Hurricane Center said Edouard “could approach hurricane strength before it reaches the northwest Gulf coast later today.” Forecasters expected the storm to make landfall in Texas on Tuesday, The Guardian reported.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish line in Louisiana, according to the Miami-based hurricane center. A hurricane watch also was in effect Tuesday morning, and a storm surge watch covered parts of Texas and southwest Louisiana. The hurricane center warned that water could rise as much as 5 feet above ground level along portions of the coast, creating a risk of major flooding as the system moves inland.

Early Tuesday, Edouard was about 65 miles south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, and 90 miles southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, according to the hurricane center. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, just above the 39 mph threshold for a tropical storm, and was moving west-northwest at 8 mph.

Rain and wind were already lashing Port Arthur before daybreak, CBS News reported, with conditions expected to worsen through the day. Strong thunderstorms were forecast to bring wind gusts of up to 45 mph and widespread heavy rain. Forecasters expected 3 to 6 inches across parts of Texas, including the greater Houston area, with some locations along the state’s upper coast possibly receiving up to 9 inches.

The hurricane center warned that heavy rain in Texas and Louisiana “could produce flash flooding, especially in low-lying and urban areas.” In some areas, rainfall rates could exceed 4 inches per hour, The Guardian reported, likely causing flash flooding in vulnerable places.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said flooding was expected to be the biggest concern from the storm. State officials said they were preparing ahead of Edouard’s arrival.

“This is our first big storm of the season, and I’ll tell you, Texas is prepared,” Orlando Alanis of the Texas Division of Emergency Management said at a news conference.

Abbott said crews worked Monday to clear dry vegetation that could ignite from lightning strikes and spark fast-spreading fires.

Edouard, which was upgraded from a tropical depression Monday night, is the fifth tropical storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

Other tropical systems were active in the Atlantic and Pacific. The remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly brought rain and thunderstorms to parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas, the hurricane center said.

In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Lowell was about 630 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, on Monday evening, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and a westward track at 10 mph. Forecasters said Lowell could rapidly intensify and become a major hurricane by Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Marie formed early Tuesday well offshore of southwestern Mexico and was not threatening land, the hurricane center said. It was about 470 miles southwest of Manzanillo, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, and was expected to become a hurricane in the coming days.

Hurricane Karina, meanwhile, remained a powerful Category 4 storm far from land Tuesday morning. The hurricane center said it was centered 1,210 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, moving west-northwest at 10 mph.