Edouard Downgraded To Tropical Depression
POSTED: Tuesday, August 5, 2008
UPDATED: 7:10 pm CDT August 5,
2008
HOUSTON -- Tropical Storm Edouard weakened to a tropical depression Tuesday afternoon after shifting to the east and making landfall on the upper Texas coast early Tuesday, KPRC Local 2 reported.
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Webcams: www.Galveston.com Live Webcams
Photos: Send Us Your Photos | Slideshow: Edouard In Pictures
Interactives: Track Edouard's Path | Hurricane Section
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Alerts: Weather Alerts Issued
Watch: 2008 Hurricane Survival Guide
Closings: Schools, Districts
The storm's center made landfall east of Galveston and west of the Louisiana border, between the small coastal town of High Island and Sabine Pass.At 4 p.m., the center of tropical depression Edouard was 35 miles north-northeast of Houston with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph with higher gusts. Edouard was located at 30.2 north, 95.2 west moving west-northwest near 9 mph."We're finally seeing this system start to lose strength as it continues to move on land (at noon), which is good because it's now moving at only 10 mph," KPRC Local 2 chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley said. "The heavy rain we saw earlier is now finally beginning to dissipate. I think it's going to become disjointed."All tropical storm warnings were discontinued."What we have now is a broad area of low pressure. It's still causing a little trouble in terms of strong storms -- a healthy downpour or two is certainly not out of the question, but the concentrated heavy wave after wave after wave is finally gone," Billingsley said.The east side, especially Baytown, was hit hard with storms."Wave after wave after wave hit the Baytown area -- a training effect of moisture," Billingsley said. "These storms were relentless."Baytown received 5 inches of rain and the Highlands received 6 inches."Cypress got 3 inches, Pasadena got 3. Deer Park and Baytown got 5 inches of rain," Billingsley said. "Some of these showers resulted in serious issues and flooding."A flash flood watch was issued for most of southeast Texas through 4 a.m. Wednesday. A flash flood watch means rapidly rising water or flooding is possible."It's on its way to being a goner. It's still going to last as a tropical depression for the better part of the night and overnight," Billingsley said. "Isolated downpour is still a possibility."Rain chances will continue to go down throughout Tuesday, according to Billingsley.Gov. Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration for 17 counties before the storm made landfall.
Texas Task Force On Hand, Not Needed: Mary Benton Reports
The Texas Task Force, which consists of emergency crews, staged at Reliant Park in case they were needed. The 125 volunteers from fire departments across the state are trained to rescue anyone trapped in floodwaters or damaged buildings.They were moved to College Station after officials said the Houston-area danger had passed.The task force carried out more than 300 rescues just over a week ago in south Texas during Hurricane Dolly.The following shelters were opened for anyone affected by Tropical Storm Edouard:
Flights Canceled Due To Edouard: Lisa Baldwin Reports
CenterPoint Energy, which serves 2 million customers, said very few customers were without electricity."This is just like any other thunderstorm," said Leticia Lowe, a spokeswoman for the company.Approximately 4,000 customers were without power at the height of the storm.
High Water Leads To Rescues: Joel Eisenbaum Reports
Three people were inside the cab of the vehicle. One person was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He's expected to be OK.The driver said he was traveling about 50 mph when he lost control of the truck and it overturned."I wasn't even on the road anymore. I was just on a sheet of water," the unidentified driver said.A big rig driver in Baytown had to be rescued after he drove into high water and could not safely make it out of his cab. Firefighters helped pull him to safety.Storm drains were filled with water and manhole covers popped off in some areas.
Bolivar Peninsula Feels Edouard's Impact: Robert Arnold Reports
On the thin strip of land northeast of Galveston that separates Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico, emergency workers were ready but had little to do. A few sat at the Gilchrist fire station amid emergency supplies, bottled water and air mattresses. But none of the 700 or so residents had called for help."We've fared this pretty well, thank God. We've had a lot worse," said April Rosenthal, the town's emergency medical administrator.Although flooding was not a problem as expected, storm ditches quickly filled to capacity, causing street flooding.High water also came from an unlikely source -- the East Bay and not the Gulf of Mexico."This water coming down from the bay and coming up was a surprise. We didn't expect it -- thought it would come off the Gulf," said Debbie Smithe with the Gilchrist Volunteer Fire Department.The water surged through neighborhood streets but did not make it inside most homes."We got back home and it was a foot-and-a-half, 2 feet deep," said an unidentified resident.Galveston County officials asked residents to stay inside and to not travel along Highway 87 because of high water.No major structural damage was reported. Only tree branches, signs and shingles seemed to be knocked over by the storm.
Galveston Surfers Injured After Storm: Phil Archer Reports
Waves Toss Boats In Bayou: Mariza Reyes Reports
Kemah Gets Rain From Tropical Storm Edouard: Carl Willis Reports
Galveston Residents Throw Tropical Storm Party: Phil Archer Reports
Tropical Storm Edouard did little more than soak the travelers who came to relax on the tourist town's beaches.City manager Steve LeBlanc said there was minimal flooding and minor power outages that were quickly restored.One tree was reportedly damaged.Tourists were in the water along Galveston beaches before 5 a.m. Surfers were out well before dawn, ignoring danger warnings in the hopes that the storm churned up some big waves."If its too dangerous, all were going to do is try it out there," surfer Megan Fox said. "If we can't handle it, if it pulls us too much to jetty or anything, we're going to get out. We're not completely dumb."Galveston City Council declared a state of emergency Monday when it was predicted that the storm could bring 6 inches of rain and winds up to 70 mph. The declaration was terminated at 5 p.m. Tuesday.Galveston's Emergency Operations Center was closed at noon.The city did not order an evacuation. Emergency managers gave tourists and residents the option to stay or go.Peggy Black and her family decided to ride out the storm on the seventh floor of the Flagship Hotel. They made an early morning shopping run to be well stocked."We've got all our snack goodies -- lots of soda and Cokes and candy. We're prepared -- going to have a party," she said."Some may stay and some may go," Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thompson said. "People have to take some responsibility on their own."Emergency managers said the biggest concern was that surge tides of 5 feet or more the west end of the island could cut off the only road out. There have been no problems so far.
Harris County Kept Close Eye On Edouard: Courtney Zavala Reports
"Most of our area is celebrating the fact that the tropical storm or minimal hurricane Edouard shifted to the north and east, it is still a dangerous situation for parts of our area," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said. "It's still going to be a heavy rain event and the area it's going over features a lot of trees."Emmett said it was a good lesson that anything can change."I hope everyone paid attention to that because the next storm might be headed to Beaumont/Port Arthur and during the night before landfall turns and hits us," he said. "They (residents) need to understand that the media and the governmental entities aren't trying to scare people, they're just trying to make sure people are aware and ready in case a storm comes our way." More Weather:
Copyright 2009 by Click2Houston.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Radar Loops: Houston | Texas | Gulf Coast
Satellite Loop: Gulf Coast
Webcams: www.Galveston.com Live Webcams
Photos: Send Us Your Photos | Slideshow: Edouard In Pictures
Interactives: Track Edouard's Path | Hurricane Section
Download: Hurricane Guide | Tracking Chart
Alerts: Weather Alerts Issued
Watch: 2008 Hurricane Survival Guide
Closings: Schools, Districts
The storm's center made landfall east of Galveston and west of the Louisiana border, between the small coastal town of High Island and Sabine Pass.At 4 p.m., the center of tropical depression Edouard was 35 miles north-northeast of Houston with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph with higher gusts. Edouard was located at 30.2 north, 95.2 west moving west-northwest near 9 mph."We're finally seeing this system start to lose strength as it continues to move on land (at noon), which is good because it's now moving at only 10 mph," KPRC Local 2 chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley said. "The heavy rain we saw earlier is now finally beginning to dissipate. I think it's going to become disjointed."All tropical storm warnings were discontinued."What we have now is a broad area of low pressure. It's still causing a little trouble in terms of strong storms -- a healthy downpour or two is certainly not out of the question, but the concentrated heavy wave after wave after wave is finally gone," Billingsley said.The east side, especially Baytown, was hit hard with storms."Wave after wave after wave hit the Baytown area -- a training effect of moisture," Billingsley said. "These storms were relentless."Baytown received 5 inches of rain and the Highlands received 6 inches."Cypress got 3 inches, Pasadena got 3. Deer Park and Baytown got 5 inches of rain," Billingsley said. "Some of these showers resulted in serious issues and flooding."A flash flood watch was issued for most of southeast Texas through 4 a.m. Wednesday. A flash flood watch means rapidly rising water or flooding is possible."It's on its way to being a goner. It's still going to last as a tropical depression for the better part of the night and overnight," Billingsley said. "Isolated downpour is still a possibility."Rain chances will continue to go down throughout Tuesday, according to Billingsley.Gov. Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration for 17 counties before the storm made landfall.
Texas Task Force On Hand, Not Needed: Mary Benton Reports The Texas Task Force, which consists of emergency crews, staged at Reliant Park in case they were needed. The 125 volunteers from fire departments across the state are trained to rescue anyone trapped in floodwaters or damaged buildings.They were moved to College Station after officials said the Houston-area danger had passed.The task force carried out more than 300 rescues just over a week ago in south Texas during Hurricane Dolly.The following shelters were opened for anyone affected by Tropical Storm Edouard:
- ChristBridge Fellowship in the 29500 block of Tomball Parkway in Tomball First United Methodist Church in the 800 block of Main Street in Humble First United Methodist Church in the 4300 block of W. Davis Conroe Sallas Sports Complex in the 21600 block of McClesky in New Caney Montgomery County Community Center in the 16400 block of First Street in Splendora Magnolia Community Center in the 400 block of Melton in Magnolia
Flights Canceled Due To Edouard: Lisa Baldwin Reports CenterPoint Energy, which serves 2 million customers, said very few customers were without electricity."This is just like any other thunderstorm," said Leticia Lowe, a spokeswoman for the company.Approximately 4,000 customers were without power at the height of the storm.
High Water Causes Problems On Roadways
Wet roads were a danger to drivers.A slick road caused a truck to flip on its side on Interstate 10 and Thompson Road in Baytown on Tuesday morning.High Water Leads To Rescues: Joel Eisenbaum Reports Three people were inside the cab of the vehicle. One person was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He's expected to be OK.The driver said he was traveling about 50 mph when he lost control of the truck and it overturned."I wasn't even on the road anymore. I was just on a sheet of water," the unidentified driver said.A big rig driver in Baytown had to be rescued after he drove into high water and could not safely make it out of his cab. Firefighters helped pull him to safety.Storm drains were filled with water and manhole covers popped off in some areas.
Storm Slams Into Bolivar Peninsula
Heavy rain and wind pounded the Bolivar Peninsula as Tropical Storm Edouard barreled through at about 4 a.m.Bolivar Peninsula Feels Edouard's Impact: Robert Arnold Reports On the thin strip of land northeast of Galveston that separates Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico, emergency workers were ready but had little to do. A few sat at the Gilchrist fire station amid emergency supplies, bottled water and air mattresses. But none of the 700 or so residents had called for help."We've fared this pretty well, thank God. We've had a lot worse," said April Rosenthal, the town's emergency medical administrator.Although flooding was not a problem as expected, storm ditches quickly filled to capacity, causing street flooding.High water also came from an unlikely source -- the East Bay and not the Gulf of Mexico."This water coming down from the bay and coming up was a surprise. We didn't expect it -- thought it would come off the Gulf," said Debbie Smithe with the Gilchrist Volunteer Fire Department.The water surged through neighborhood streets but did not make it inside most homes."We got back home and it was a foot-and-a-half, 2 feet deep," said an unidentified resident.Galveston County officials asked residents to stay inside and to not travel along Highway 87 because of high water.No major structural damage was reported. Only tree branches, signs and shingles seemed to be knocked over by the storm.
Galveston Does Not Take Direct Hit
Galveston was spared the brunt of the storm. The highest sustained winds to the island were 25-30 mph.Galveston Surfers Injured After Storm: Phil Archer ReportsWaves Toss Boats In Bayou: Mariza Reyes ReportsKemah Gets Rain From Tropical Storm Edouard: Carl Willis ReportsGalveston Residents Throw Tropical Storm Party: Phil Archer Reports Tropical Storm Edouard did little more than soak the travelers who came to relax on the tourist town's beaches.City manager Steve LeBlanc said there was minimal flooding and minor power outages that were quickly restored.One tree was reportedly damaged.Tourists were in the water along Galveston beaches before 5 a.m. Surfers were out well before dawn, ignoring danger warnings in the hopes that the storm churned up some big waves."If its too dangerous, all were going to do is try it out there," surfer Megan Fox said. "If we can't handle it, if it pulls us too much to jetty or anything, we're going to get out. We're not completely dumb."Galveston City Council declared a state of emergency Monday when it was predicted that the storm could bring 6 inches of rain and winds up to 70 mph. The declaration was terminated at 5 p.m. Tuesday.Galveston's Emergency Operations Center was closed at noon.The city did not order an evacuation. Emergency managers gave tourists and residents the option to stay or go.Peggy Black and her family decided to ride out the storm on the seventh floor of the Flagship Hotel. They made an early morning shopping run to be well stocked."We've got all our snack goodies -- lots of soda and Cokes and candy. We're prepared -- going to have a party," she said."Some may stay and some may go," Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thompson said. "People have to take some responsibility on their own."Emergency managers said the biggest concern was that surge tides of 5 feet or more the west end of the island could cut off the only road out. There have been no problems so far.
Harris County Officials Track Edouard's Path
Harris County officials closely monitored Tropical Storm Edouard's movement Tuesday.Harris County Kept Close Eye On Edouard: Courtney Zavala Reports "Most of our area is celebrating the fact that the tropical storm or minimal hurricane Edouard shifted to the north and east, it is still a dangerous situation for parts of our area," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said. "It's still going to be a heavy rain event and the area it's going over features a lot of trees."Emmett said it was a good lesson that anything can change."I hope everyone paid attention to that because the next storm might be headed to Beaumont/Port Arthur and during the night before landfall turns and hits us," he said. "They (residents) need to understand that the media and the governmental entities aren't trying to scare people, they're just trying to make sure people are aware and ready in case a storm comes our way." More Weather:
- Weather Section Texas Radar Loop VIPIR Radar Loop 7-Day Forecast National Weather Alert Map River Levels Severe Weather Alerts Monitor Approaching Storms With Premium Weather
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Previous Stories:
- August 4, 2008: Tropical Storm Edouard Keeps Eye On Galveston Area
- August 4, 2008: Residents Shop For Emergency Supplies
- August 3, 2008: Tropical Storm Edouard Forms In Gulf
Copyright 2009 by Click2Houston.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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