Tropical Depression Edouard is bringing dangerous flooding and lingering power outages to southeast Texas and Louisiana after making landfall with 60 mph winds, with forecasters warning some communities could face catastrophic flash floods.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Nearly 70,000 customers remained without electricity in Texas on Wednesday as the remnants of Tropical Storm Edouard continued dumping heavy rain across the Gulf Coast and raising the threat of severe to catastrophic flash flooding.
Edouard weakened to a tropical depression after making landfall Tuesday near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, close to Port Arthur, Texas, but the storm continued producing dangerous conditions across the region.
According to PowerOutage.us, nearly 70,000 Texas customers remained without electricity, while approximately 2,600 customers in neighboring Louisiana were also without power.
The storm came ashore at approximately 2:20 p.m. Tuesday with sustained winds of 60 mph and a minimum central pressure of 996 millibars, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Although Edouard lost tropical-storm strength after moving inland, the system continued generating strong wind gusts and potentially life-threatening rainfall.
As of 11 a.m. ET Wednesday, wind gusts across affected areas were reaching approximately 35 to 45 mph.
The National Hurricane Center warned that flash flooding remained likely, with densely developed urban areas facing particularly serious risks.
Some locations could experience catastrophic flash flooding as persistent rainfall overwhelms drainage systems and causes water to rise rapidly on roads and in neighborhoods.
The flooding threat has forced local authorities to keep emergency measures in place even as Edouard weakens.
Port Arthur Independent School District announced that schools would remain closed Wednesday while officials assess possible damage to buildings and other infrastructure, according to the New York Post.
Emergency personnel in Port Arthur were also investigating widespread reports of gas odors that emerged across portions of the city around the time Edouard made landfall.
Officials had prepared for the storm before its arrival.
Both Port Arthur and Jefferson County issued disaster declarations ahead of landfall, allowing local authorities to accelerate emergency response measures and mobilize resources more quickly as conditions deteriorated.
Edouard’s strongest winds have diminished, but the storm’s rainfall remains the primary danger.
Tropical systems frequently continue producing destructive flooding after wind speeds weaken below tropical-storm thresholds, particularly when large volumes of moisture move slowly over populated areas.
Southeast Texas is now dealing simultaneously with power restoration, infrastructure inspections and the possibility of additional flooding as rain continues across already affected communities.
The prolonged outages leave tens of thousands of residents without electricity while emergency crews contend with flooded roads, potential utility problems and storm-related damage.
Officials are especially concerned about urban flooding, where heavy rainfall can rapidly overwhelm streets and drainage infrastructure even after a tropical cyclone’s wind intensity declines.
With nearly 70,000 Texas customers still without power and forecasters warning that some areas could experience catastrophic flash flooding, Edouard remains a significant threat despite having weakened to a tropical depression.
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