Tropical Storm Edouard weakened to a depression on Wednesday but continued to bring heavy rain, flash flooding, and downed trees to parts of Texas. The storm's remnants moved north through the state, prompting flood warnings in several counties.
Areas northwest of Beaumont experienced significant rainfall, with some locations receiving between 10 and 21 inches in a matter of hours. The National Weather Service and emergency officials reported the deluge, which led to road closures, flooded underpasses, and stranded motorists in Beaumont. Some areas experienced wind gusts as high as 90 mph on Tuesday.
In response to the severe weather, schools and municipal offices were closed, and residents were advised to stay home. As of Wednesday morning, approximately 75,000 utility customers across at least eight counties were without power, according to poweroutage.com.
Edouard had made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border Tuesday night with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Although it was losing strength as it moved inland, the system was still producing heavy rains and causing flooding on Wednesday. Forecasters expected it to break up by Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, several tropical systems were active in the Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storm Marie was churning offshore of southwest Mexico and was forecast to become a hurricane. Swells generated by Marie were expected to affect parts of the Mexican coast and potentially southern California over the weekend, bringing hazardous surf and rip current conditions. Hurricane Lowell, a Category 4 storm, was expected to remain distant from Hawaii but generate swells impacting the islands. Tropical Cyclone Karina also strengthened into a Category 4 storm in the Pacific.