Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall near Johnson Bayou, La., on Tuesday afternoon, and forecasters warned that it was likely to bring heavy rain to parts of Texas and Louisiana when it moves over land throughout the day.
Key Things to Know
-
The compact but potent storm was expected to weaken quickly, but meteorologists warned its winds were likely to drive a powerful storm surge and heavy rain was likely to last through Wednesday.
-
Edouard is only the fifth named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which has been quieter than normal because an El Niño weather pattern has thwarted most storms from developing.
Edouard was a small storm, but forecasters said the conditions in the Gulf of Mexico were favorable for it to grow stronger and more organized. Though it remained short of hurricane strength — which would require wind speeds if 74 m.p.h. — it could nevertheless bring hurricane-like conditions to some areas of the coast.
The storm’s main threat mirrors that of Tropical Storm Bertha from earlier this season. Bertha brought extreme amounts of rain to Texas and Louisiana as it hugged the Gulf Coast, making landfall twice.
This week, Houston could receive a few inches of rain, with some areas nearby getting more, raising concerns of flash flooding. The amount of rain will depend on the storm’s path.
The latest forecast suggested that heavier rainfall totals of three to six inches will fall along parts of the Upper Texas Coast inland through east-central Texas — with some isolated areas potentially seeing totals up to nine inches. Southwest Louisiana would most likely receive two to four inches.
The post Tropical Storm Edouard Lashes Gulf Coast With Heavy Rain as it Moves Ashore appeared first on New York Times.
