Tropical Storm Edouard Expected To Strengthen Near Texas And Louisiana

According to CNBC, Tropical Storm Edouard was expected to strengthen significantly and could reach hurricane force Tuesday as it moved toward the Gulf Coast, where heavy rain and flooding were possible in parts of Texas and Louisiana. The National Hurricane Center said the storm was upgraded Monday night from a tropical depression and was expected to make landfall in Texas later on Tuesday before rapidly weakening. Tuesday morning, Edouard was about 40 miles south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, and 70 miles east-southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph while moving west-northwest at 8 mph. Tropical storm warnings, hurricane watches, storm surge warnings and flood watches were issued for the western Gulf Coast. The hurricane center said Edouard was expected to dump 3 to 6 inches of rain along the Texas coast through east-central Texas, with some areas seeing up to 9 inches, while southwestern Louisiana was expected to get lesser amounts. Flash flooding was likely in low-lying and urban areas, and a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet was possible along a stretch of coastline around the Texas-Louisiana border. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said flooding was the biggest expected problem, and Orlando Alanis of the Texas Division of Emergency Management said Texas was prepared.