Tropical Depression Five formed in the Gulf on Monday afternoon, moving toward the Texas and Louisiana coastline and expected to bring heavy rain and flooding by Tuesday.
How the system formed
The system, which had been a tropical disturbance, was upgraded to Tropical Depression Five in the northern Gulf as of 1 pm Monday. It is located off the southern coast of Louisiana, according to KXAN.
An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance plane flew into the storm Monday morning and found a weak center of circulation with sustained winds of 35 mph. The system is over warm waters with low wind shear, conditions that could help it strengthen, as per KXAN.
Edouard could be next storm name
The system has a well-defined center and is expected to move slowly northwest over the next 24 hours. It could strengthen into a tropical storm by tonight.
{{/usCountry}}The system has a well-defined center and is expected to move slowly northwest over the next 24 hours. It could strengthen into a tropical storm by tonight.
{{/usCountry}}If it becomes a tropical storm, it will be named Edouard. This would make it the fifth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, as per CBS 17.
The storm is expected to be short-lived. It will lose strength after moving over land and is expected to dissipate over east Texas on Wednesday.
Also read: Grand Canyon flash flood: 10 key points on evacuations, missing people and more
When could it make landfall in Texas
The system is moving toward the west-northwest at 5 mph and is expected to continue this general motion for the next day or two. It is expected to make landfall near Galveston on Tuesday (reportedly afternoon or evening), bringing widespread showers and storms, as per Fox26 Houston.
The system is then forecast to quickly weaken as it moves inland toward north-central Texas.
List of cities under alert
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish line in Louisiana.
A flood watch is in effect from Monday night through Wednesday morning, covering parts of southeast Texas, including the Bolivar Peninsula, Chambers, Coastal Galveston, Coastal Harris, Galveston Island, Inland Galveston, Inland Harris, Montgomery, Northern Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto, and Southern Liberty, according to the National Weather Service, as per Fox26.
Heavy flooding rain is possible along with tropical storm-force winds. A storm surge of one to two feet is likely along the coastline from San Luis Pass in Texas to the Iberia Parish line in Louisiana.
Heavy rainfall and localized flooding are expected to be the biggest concern, with heavy downpours potentially causing street flooding, especially near and east of Houston.