Tropical Storm Edouard could form in Gulf, soak east Texas

Key Points:

• Tropical Storm Edouard, currently designated Potential Tropical Cyclone Five, is forming in the northern Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring flooding rain and tropical-storm-force winds to eastern Texas and Louisiana, including Houston and Galveston, starting Tuesday.
• Tropical storm warnings are in effect from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line in Louisiana, with the system likely making landfall as a tropical depression or tropical storm and causing heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding despite ongoing drought conditions.
• The storm is small but could strengthen quickly due to favorable conditions such as warm Gulf waters and light wind shear; a storm surge of one to three feet is also possible along the Texas and Louisiana coastlines.
• If named Edouard, it would be the third short-lived Gulf storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storms Arthur and Bertha, both of which caused rain and wind impacts along the Gulf Coast earlier in the season.
• Meanwhile, the remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly are moving north of the Greater Antilles with a low chance of redevelopment near the Bahamas or South Florida, bringing beneficial rainfall but also potential flash flooding in some areas.