Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) activated state emergency response resources Monday as Tropical Storm Edouard strengthened near the Upper Texas Coast Tuesday morning, threatening Southeast Texas with heavy rain, flooding, storm surge and strong winds.
Abbott held a severe weather briefing and press conference at the Texas State Emergency Operations Center in Austin to outline the state’s preparedness efforts.
The National Hurricane Center reported at 10 a.m. Tuesday that Edouard had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was about 50 miles southeast of Port Arthur, moving northwest at 8 mph. Forecasters said the storm was strengthening and expected further intensification before it reached the northwestern Gulf Coast later Tuesday.
Edouard strengthens near Texas coast
The National Hurricane Center forecast 3 to 6 inches of rain across parts of the Upper Texas Coast into east-central Texas, with isolated totals up to 9 inches. The rainfall could trigger flash flooding, especially in low-lying and urban areas, and may also cause river flooding.
A storm surge warning covers the coast from High Island, Texas, to the Vermilion-Cameron Parish line in Louisiana, where forecasters warned of life-threatening inundation. A hurricane watch remains in effect from High Island to Cameron, Louisiana, while a tropical storm warning extends from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the Vermilion-Iberia Parish line.
The storm could also produce dangerous rip currents, tropical-storm-force winds and isolated power outages along the coast. Texas officials are coordinating with electric utilities, the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to monitor grid conditions and respond to storm-related outages.
State emergency operations underway
At Abbott’s direction, the Texas Division of Emergency Management requested that representatives from state agencies and disaster-response organizations report to the State Operations Center for 24-hour operations and prepare resources for deployment.
Participants include the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas National Guard, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Cyber Command, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and other emergency-management partners.
State emergency officials also continue to monitor wildfire conditions across portions of Texas while preparing for the tropical weather threat.
Abbott urges Texans to prepare
Abbott emphasized that residents should take precautions before conditions deteriorate, particularly along the Upper Texas Coast and in Southeast Texas.
“Saving lives is the most important thing that we can do,” Abbott said. “It is essential that individuals prioritize their personal safety and stay away from rising water.”
State officials recommend that residents:
- Know the flood risks in their area.
- Sign up for local emergency alerts.
- Prepare an emergency supply kit with food, water and other necessities.
- Keep important documents in waterproof containers and maintain password-protected digital copies.
- Clear drains and gutters and consider backup power for sump pumps.
- Move valuables to higher levels if flooding is possible.
- Avoid flooded roads, creeks, streams and storm drains.
- Never cross flowing streams or drive across flooded roads.
- Follow road closures and barricades.
Officials also urged residents to remember the basic flood-safety rule: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
Texans can find hurricane preparedness information at TexasReady.gov, check roadway conditions through DriveTexas.org and access additional emergency preparedness information from the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
The state advised residents along the coast and in Southeast Texas to remain weather aware and follow instructions from local officials as Edouard approaches.
Texas has activated emergency resources ahead of Gulf tropical systems before, including Tropical Storm Alberto in 2024, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Provided by Dallas Express
