Tropical Storm Edouard expected to strengthen while approaching Texas and Louisiana

Key Points:

• Tropical Storm Edouard was upgraded from a tropical depression and is expected to strengthen to hurricane force as it approaches the Gulf Coast, with landfall anticipated in Texas on Tuesday.
• The storm was located near the Louisiana-Texas border with sustained winds of 40 mph, moving west-northwest, and is forecast to bring 3 to 6 inches of rain to the Texas coast, with some areas potentially receiving up to 9 inches, raising concerns about flash flooding.
• Texas officials, including Governor Greg Abbott, emphasized flooding as the primary threat and confirmed preparedness efforts, including clearing dry vegetation to reduce wildfire risks.
• Meanwhile, remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly affected parts of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos, and the Bahamas with rain and thunderstorms.
• In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Lowell is expected to rapidly intensify near Hawaii, Tropical Storm Marie formed offshore southwest Mexico and may become a hurricane, and Hurricane Karina strengthened to a powerful Category 4 storm but poses no land threat.