By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-09-02 17:11:23 | Updated at 2026-09-02 18:54:26
1 hour ago
PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Tropical Depression Edouard is swamping Southeast Texas with heavy rain and flash flooding and has left more than 70,000 customers without power as it slowly makes its way inland.
A Flash Flood Emergency for life-threatening flooding was issued for parts of Hardin and Tyler counties shortly after 5:45 a.m. local time.
Edouard made landfall as a tropical storm near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, about 15 miles south-southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, at 2:20 p.m. local time, packing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and a minimum central pressure of 996 mb, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Edouard was downgraded to a tropical depression at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The National Weather Service said 10 to 21 inches of rain have fallen across the area covered by the Flash Flood Emergency as of early Wednesday and urged people in the Kountze, Village Mills and Honey Island communities to seek higher ground immediately.
The Woodville Independent School District and several others nearby canceled school Wednesday morning.
Kountze city officials said on social media that power lines were down and flooding was ongoing early Wednesday, and asked people to avoid travel.
A Flood Watch remains in effect for much of the region through Wednesday evening, including Houston, while a Flash Flood Warning was in effect early Wednesday for Hardin, Jefferson, Tyler, Chambers, Liberty, Polk and San Jacinto counties.
Meanwhile, the Port Arthur Independent School District announced that it will remain closed Wednesday to assess damage to infrastructure.
City emergency management officials said they were investigating widespread reports of a gas odor across parts of the city as the storm came ashore.
🌀 TROPICAL STORM: The effects of Tropical Storm Edouard were in full display for coastal areas such as Sabine Pass, Texas, where ferocious wind gusts and violent waves crashed along the shore. pic.twitter.com/T6JEeMK2CZ
— FOX Weather (@foxweather) September 2, 2026Both the city and Jefferson County issued disaster declarations ahead of the storm to help speed up anticipated cleanup.
The Jefferson County Commissioner shared video of downed trees that had taken down power lines late Tuesday, and asked people to stay off the roads.
Beaumont announced that city facilities would not open until noon Wednesday while crews worked to clear debris.
Tropical Depression Edouard to unleash heavy rain, flooding through Wednesday
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the heaviest rain will fall inland in Texas through midday Wednesday as the storm’s center moves inland, somewhat paralleling the Interstate 45 corridor.
“The highest rain totals will be somewhere north and east of the Houston Metro and east of I-45,” the FOX Forecast Center said.
“The rain totals could be as high as 8-10 inches in some spots, but most will see a generous 3-5 inches of rain.”
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued a Level 3 out of 4 flash flood risk for a narrow corridor east of I-45 from Livingston to just north of Palestine.
Edouard marks the third landfall of the 2026 hurricane season
Tropical Storm Edouard strengthened before making landfall Tuesday afternoon.
“As it neared the coast, the inner core was able to form only a segment of an eyewall on the southwest side of the storm,” the FOX Forecast Center said.
“In this very small segment, tall thunderstorms formed over the center, allowing for winds to pick up from 40 mph to 60 mph.”
A top wind gust of 90 mph was recorded in Port Arthur, with two other hurricane-force gusts measured in the area Tuesday.
This is the third landfall of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, with the previous two tropical storms also coming ashore along the northwestern Gulf Coast: Arthur near Matagorda County, Texas, on June 17, and Bertha in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, on July 22.
A top wind gust of 90 mph was recorded in Port Arthur, with two other hurricane-force gusts measured in the area Tuesday.
This is the third landfall of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, with the previous two tropical storms also coming ashore along the northwestern Gulf Coast: Arthur near Matagorda County, Texas, on June 17, and Bertha in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, on July 22.
Tropical Depression Edouard developed quickly from a cluster of thunderstorms in the northern Gulf Friday evening.
The cluster was tagged as Invest 97L on Saturday afternoon.
From there, Edouard strengthened from a Potential Tropical Cyclone to a full-blown tropical storm within the span of nine hours on Monday.
