Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall near Johnson Bayou along the Texas-Louisiana border Tuesday afternoon as the third named storm to hit the Gulf Coast during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, National Hurricane Center forecasters said.
Despite earlier forecasts suggesting the storm could rapidly intensify to a Category 1 hurricane, Edouard’s sustained winds remained at 60 mph as it moved ashore. It is expected to weaken quickly, becoming a post-tropical system over Texas by Wednesday morning.
Edouard is expected to bring coastal flooding and heavy rain to portions of southwest Louisiana and eastern Texas. Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning that is in effect from High Island, Texas to the Vermilion and Cameron parish line. Coastal flood warnings were also issued for parts of the northwestern Gulf Coast.
The storm could bring up to 9 inches of rain in isolated parts of the upper Texas coast through east-central Texas. Parts of southwest Louisiana could get between 2 and 4 inches of rain.
The storm is not expected to bring major impacts to New Orleans or Baton Rouge, though National Weather Service forecasters said there is a chance for showers and thunderstorms through Tuesday.
Edouard is the third named storm of the season to form in the Gulf near Louisiana, following tropical storms Arthur and Bertha. It fell short of becoming the first hurricane of the 2026 season.
The lack of hurricanes in the Atlantic so far this year has made for a quiet season, largely thanks to strong El Niño conditions that help prevent storm formation. An average Atlantic hurricane season generally sees six named storms by Aug. 29, including two hurricanes, according to climate data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The first hurricane tends to form in early to mid-August, and the first major hurricane of Category 3 strength or higher forms in late August or early September.
Still, the Atlantic is just entering what is historically its busiest time of year. While the season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, hurricane researcher Philip Klotzbach said about two-thirds of all Atlantic hurricane activity occurs between Aug. 20 and Oct. 10.
