The storm came ashore near the Texas-Louisiana border with 60 mph winds before weakening, but flash flood warnings remain in effect.
Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, on Tuesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, including the Houston metropolitan area. The storm has since weakened to a tropical depression, but forecasters warn that flash flooding remains a significant risk through Wednesday.
WHAT HAPPENED?
According to the National Hurricane Center, Edouard came ashore at approximately 2:20 p.m. Central Time near Johnson Bayou, about 15 miles south-southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and a minimum central pressure of 996 millibars. Wind gusts reached as high as 71 mph near the Texas-Louisiana border. The storm weakened to a tropical depression around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday as it continued moving inland.
Edouard developed rapidly, becoming the fifth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season after forming from a tropical depression earlier the same day. Unlike many Atlantic storms that originate off the African coast, Edouard developed through a different, more localized path over the Gulf in the days leading up to landfall.
Rainfall has been the storm’s most significant impact. The National Weather Service forecast 3 to 6 inches of rain across the upper Texas coast and east-central Texas, with isolated totals of up to 9 inches possible. Southwestern Louisiana, including the Lake Charles area, was also expected to see significant rainfall. Water levels along the Louisiana coast were reported to be 1 to 2 feet above normal tidal levels, though no significant coastal flooding had been recorded as of Tuesday evening.
WHAT OFFICIALS / SOURCES ARE SAYING
The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center placed part of the southeast Texas coast under a moderate, Level 3-of-4 risk of flash flooding, with the Houston metro area under a slightly lower Level 2 risk through Wednesday morning. A separate Level 3 flood threat was issued for the Piney Woods and Big Thicket regions of southeast Texas, including Beaumont and Livingston.
A meteorologist with Houston television station KHOU-TV said the Houston area remained on what forecasters call the “dirty side” of the storm, the side that typically receives the heaviest rainfall, and said the region should still expect a significant flooding threat despite the storm’s weakening.
Houston-area school districts announced closures for Wednesday as a precaution following the storm’s landfall. Utility providers in the region reported that tens of thousands of customers lost power as Edouard moved through.
KEY FACTS
- Landfall location: Near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, roughly 15 miles from Port Arthur, Texas
- Landfall time: Approximately 2:20 p.m. CDT, Tuesday, September 1, 2026
- Peak winds: 60 mph sustained, gusts up to 71 mph
- Current status: Weakened to a tropical depression as of Tuesday night
- Rainfall forecast: 3 to 6 inches generally, isolated totals up to 9 inches
- Affected areas: Southeast Texas (including Houston) and southwest Louisiana (including Lake Charles)
- School impact: Houston-area districts closed for Wednesday
WHY THIS MATTERS
Edouard is the first storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season to make a significant landfall on the Texas coast and marks the third short-lived Gulf storm of the season, following Tropical Storm Arthur in mid-June. While the storm did not reach hurricane strength, its slow-moving rain bands pose a continued flash flooding risk to a densely populated region, including Houston, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
BACKGROUND
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season had already produced several short-lived systems affecting the Gulf Coast before Edouard’s arrival. Forecasters had warned in the days leading up to landfall that Edouard could potentially strengthen into a hurricane, prompting Texas and Louisiana officials to make emergency preparations, though the storm ultimately did not reach the 74 mph threshold required for hurricane classification.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Forecasters expect Edouard’s remnants to continue moving inland and weakening through Wednesday, though the flash flood threat is expected to persist across parts of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana until the rain bands clear the region. Local officials are expected to continue monitoring water levels and road conditions as the storm moves north.
LATEST UPDATE
As of Tuesday night, Edouard had weakened to a tropical depression, but flood watches remained in effect for southeast Texas, including Houston, through Wednesday evening. The situation remains actively monitored by the National Hurricane Center and local emergency officials.
