Weather Today: Live Forecasts, Storm Alerts and Safety Tips

Residents across the Gulf Coast are waking up to turbulent weather today as Tropical Storm Edouard slams ashore near Johnson Bayou on the Texas–Louisiana border, packing sustained winds near 60 mph and drenching rainbands that stretch hundreds of miles inland. The National Weather Service warns that 4–8 inches of rainfall—with isolated pockets topping 10 inches—could trigger dangerous flash flooding from Lake Charles to Beaumont through tonight, while coastal surge of 2–4 feet is already pushing seawater onto low-lying roads. What to expect today • Peak wind gusts: 60–70 mph along the immediate coastline this morning, easing to 30–40 mph by late afternoon farther north. • Rainfall timeline: Heaviest downpours sweep northeast through central Louisiana before sunset; widespread thunderstorms linger over Mississippi and Arkansas overnight. • Tornado risk: Quick-spinning cells within Edouard’s outer bands may spawn a brief tornado or two, especially east of the storm track from Lafayette to Baton Rouge during the hottest part of the day. • Travel impacts: Portions of I-10 and US-90 could close for high water; expect cascading flight delays at Houston-Hobby and New Orleans MSY. Why this storm matters Edouard is the season’s fifth named system but the first to strike the U.S. mainland, arriving exactly when Gulf sea-surface temperatures sit near record-warm levels. That extra ocean heat supercharged the storm overnight, allowing it to intensify rapidly just hours before landfall—an increasingly common “last-minute” scenario that leaves little time for final preparations. Safety tips for today’s severe weather 1. Never drive across flooded roadways; just 12 inches of moving water can sweep away most vehicles. 2. Keep mobile devices fully charged and enable Wireless Emergency Alerts for tornado or flash-flood warnings. 3. If you rely on medical equipment that needs power, locate the nearest storm shelter or evacuation center with generator backup. 4. After the storm passes, watch for downed power lines and snakes or fire ants displaced by rising water. Looking ahead Forecast models show Edouard weakening to a tropical depression late tonight over central Louisiana, but its moisture plume will feed a multi-day rain event stretching into the Ohio Valley by mid-week. By Thursday, a trailing cold front should finally push lingering showers off the Southeast coast, ushering in drier, slightly cooler air for the weekend. Bottom line The headline for weather today is Tropical Storm Edouard: expect wind damage near the coast, life-threatening flash floods well inland, and widespread travel disruptions. Stay tuned to local alerts, monitor real-time radar, and avoid unnecessary travel until the worst conditions move out.