Residents of Texas and Louisiana are bracing for impact as Tropical Storm Edouard moves toward the Gulf Coast and is expected to make landfall Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center has warned there may be heavy rains and flooding after the storm was upgraded from a tropical depression late Monday, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
“Tuesday morning, the storm was about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, and 70 miles (113 kilometers) east-southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) while moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph),” the outlet said.
Edouard could briefly turn into a hurricane as it nears landfall, and a “hurricane watch has been issued from High Island, Texas, to Cameron, Louisiana, meaning winds of 74+ mph are possible on Tuesday,” the Weather Channel reported.
Storm Chaser Aaron Jayjack shared video footage of the conditions at High Island early Tuesday:
The Weather Channel noted people in southeast Texas were under a flood watch through Wednesday morning.
“A storm surge warning has been issued from High Island, Texas, to Cameron, Louisiana. This means rising water moving in from the Gulf is likely in these areas, peaking just before and after landfall Tuesday,” the outlet said.
“That said, the main threat from this system is heavy rainfall, both near the coast and to some extent inland, especially over eastern Texas,” it continued.
In a social media post Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) said officials were tracking the storm system, coordinating with electric power providers, and would keep people informed about emergency preparation:
According to the NASA website, “A tropical depression forms when a low pressure area is accompanied by thunderstorms that produce a circular wind flow with maximum sustained winds below 39 mph. An upgrade to a tropical storm occurs when cyclonic circulation becomes more organized and maximum sustained winds gust between 39 mph and 73 mph.”
