Former Tropical Storm Edouard lingers over Texas, flooding homes and
roadways
[September 03, 2026]
By JAMIE STENGLE and LEKAN OYEKANMI
LIVINGSTON, Texas (AP) — Texas authorities rescued dozens of people from
stranded cars, homes surrounded by floodwaters and an assisted living
facility Wednesday as former Tropical Storm Edouard lingered over rural
parts of the state and dumped nearly 2 feet of rain in some places.
Heavy rains from the storm, which weakened into a tropical depression
after making landfall Tuesday, were expected to threaten the eastern
part of the state through Thursday morning, the National Weather Service
said.
Meanwhile, a burst of tropical weather persisted in the Pacific Ocean,
where three hurricanes were churning in open waters.
In Texas' hard-hit Hardin County, about 85 miles (137 kilometers)
northeast of Houston, officials said flooding, downed trees and
powerlines, debris, and power outages were still creating hazardous
conditions.
Between 18 inches (45 centimeters) and 20 inches (51 centimeters) fell
in parts of the county over the last two days, the weather service said.
The average local monthly rainfall for September is just 5.51 inches (14
centimeters), said Nick Slaughter, a meteorologist with the weather
service.
Across the area close to the Louisiana border, schools and municipal
offices were closed, and residents were told to stay home.
Edouard downs trees, floods roads and leaves drivers stranded
Hardin County’s office of emergency management said Wednesday afternoon
that 12 motorists had to be rescued after driving into flooded roadways,
two people had to be rescued from a flooded home, about 10 structures
were damaged by trees and thousands were still without power.
In Jefferson County, located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast
of Houston, the main concern was restoring power after trees and limbs
were brought down during the storm, which had wind gusts up to 90 mph
(144 kph), said Robert Grimm, the county emergency management
coordinator. About 22,000 customers in the county were without power as
of late Wednesday afternoon, nearly half of the 50,000 utility customers
affected statewide, according to poweroutage.com.
Grady Leger said that as the storm moved through Hardin County on
Tuesday evening, a powerline went down by his home near Lumberton, and
he could feel the vibration coming up from the ground.
“Some blue and yellow, white sparks caught part of my dead tree on
fire,” Leger said.
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Chase Barfield walks to his truck as he takes belongings and his
dogs away from floodwaters around his house in the aftermath of
Tropical Storm Edouard near Honey Island, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 2,
2026. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
An assisted living facility was damaged in Hardin County, and 21
people were evacuated, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife, whose
game wardens assisted. Photos from the agency showed some officials
wading in thigh-deep water in parts of the county.
Edouard is expected to dissipate Thursday.
3 hurricanes are in the Pacific Ocean
Hurricane Marie strengthened from a tropical storm on Wednesday well
offshore of southwest Mexico in the Pacific, the Miami-based
National Hurricane Center said.
Swells generated by the storm were expected to affect parts of
coastal southwestern Mexico and the Baja California peninsula over
the next few days. They will likely spread to southern California
over the weekend, the center said.
Hurricane Lowell, a Category 4 storm, was hundreds of miles south of
Hawaii on Wednesday. It briefly strengthened to a Category 5 storm
before weakening again, and it was expected to remain powerful over
the next several days. Swells generated by Lowell are likely to
affect portions of the Hawaiian islands beginning Wednesday, the
center said.
Regarding Marie and Lowell, swells “are likely to cause
life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the center said.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, Hurricane Karina strengthened into a
powerful Category 4 storm. Forecasters said it should weaken over
the next few days.
___
Stengle reported from Dallas. Associated Press journalists Anna
Wilder in Austin, Texas, Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire,
Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, Julie Walker in New York and
Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.
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