Tropical Storm Edouard is "poised to significantly strengthen" before making landfall later today, Sept. 1, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Forecasters warned Edouard could approach hurricane strength before it reaches southeast Texas or southwestern Louisiana.
A hurricane watch has been issued from Texas to Louisiana.
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Flooding rain, gusty winds, storm surge and isolated tornadoes are all possible, according to AccuWeather. Some areas could get up to 20 inches of rain between Aug. 30 and Sept. 2, and there may be some isolated power outages.
Edouard is approaching the same region impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur in June and Tropical Storm Bertha in July.
We're now firmly in the busiest portion of the Atlantic hurricane season. Now is the time to assemble your hurricane kit. Here is a list of supplies you should have for the season.
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Here's the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center as of 5 a.m. Sept. 1:
Special note on the NHC cone: The forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm could travel outside the cone. In 2026, the Hurricane Center will experiment with a new cone to include 90% of forecast track possibilities instead of the previous 67% forecast error.
Location: 65 miles south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana; 349 miles west of Pensacola
Direction: west-northwest at 8 mph
Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
➤ Track Tropical Storm Edouard
No. The center of Tropical Storm Edouard is located almost 350 miles west of Pensacola and the storm is moving west-northwest toward Texas and southwestern Louisiana.
No local impacts are expected in Florida from Edouard, according to the National Weather Service Mobile. There is a low risk of rip currents through Sept. 4.
During hurricane season, though, Florida residents should monitor the tropics and always be prepared.
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We'll continue to update stories regularly based on the latest forecasts and advisories.
No watches or warnings associated with Tropical Storm Edouard have been issued for Florida.
The following watches and warnings associated with Tropical Storm Edouard have been issued:
High Island, Texas, to Cameron, Louisiana
Port Bolivar to the Vermilion/Iberia Parish Line
High Island to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line
At 5 a.m. ET, the center of Tropical Storm Edouard was located near latitude 29.0 North, longitude 92.8 West.
Edouard is moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph. A west-northwestward to northwestward motion is forecast during the next day or two.
On the forecast track, the center of Edouard is forecast to reach the northwestern Gulf Coast within the warning area later today and move inland over southeast Texas tonight.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph, with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center.
Significant strengthening is forecast today and Edouard could approach hurricane strength before it reaches the northwest Gulf coast later today.
Rapid weakening is expected after the center moves inland.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb.
Edouard is expected to strengthen and it could approach hurricane strength before it reaches the northwest Gulf Coast later today. Tropical Storm conditions are expected along the northwest Gulf Coast with hurricane conditions possible from High Island to Cameron.
A storm surge warning is in effect from High Island, Texas, to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line, Louisiana, where peak values of 3 to 5 feet above ground level are possible along the immediate coast within the warning area.
Heavy rain will impact parts of the Upper Texas coast through east-central Texas into far Southwest Louisiana today and tomorrow as Tropical Storm Edouard tracks inland. Flash flooding is likely across this region, especially in urban areas. River flooding may also be possible.
"The intensity forecast today is problematic," the National Hurricane Center said.
"Edouard has managed to develop a small core that could be prone to rapid changes in intensity. In addition, environmental conditions are quite favorable for intensification while Edouard remains over water."
Wind: Tropical storm conditions are expected to reach the coast within the warning area later this morning. Hurricane conditions are possible within the hurricane watch area later today.
Storm surge: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:
High Island, Texas, to Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line, Louisiana: 3-5 feet
Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line, Louisiana, to Morgan City, Louisiana: 1-3 feet
Rainfall: Edouard is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches with maximum totals up to 9 inches for parts of the Upper Texas Coast inland through east-central Texas, with potential for 2 to 4 inches in far southwest Louisiana. This rainfall is likely to produce flash flooding, especially in low-lying and urban areas. River flooding may also be possible.
Tornadoes: A tornado or two is possible this afternoon and evening over parts of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.
We will continue to update our tropical weather coverage to bring you the most current information you need to protect your home and family.
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://naplesnews.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Tropical Storm Edouard could approach hurricane strength before landfall
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