Multiple school districts across Southeast Texas announced Monday that they will close schools on Tuesday ahead of Tropical Depression Five as it moves toward the region.
The following school districts announced that campuses, offices, and school activities will be closed on September 1 due to inclement weather, as per ABC13 : There have been no announced closures for Wednesday so far, but officials from the districts said they are monitoring weather conditions and will share updates as needed. A flood watch has been issued for Houston and much of Southeast Texas as the tropical system, likely to become Tropical Storm Edouard, threatens to bring heavy rain to the region on Tuesday.
As per NWS, the affected area also stretches across a large part of Southeast Texas, including Huntsville, Conroe, College Station, Madisonville, Katy, Sugar Land, Liberty, Beaumont, Winnie, Anahuac, League City, Galveston, Angleton, and Freeport. Rain will vary across Southeast Texas, with the biggest flooding risk where heavy rain stays over the same areas. Tuesday afternoon and evening could be the hardest time for travel, as per Houston Chronicle. The storm’s path will decide where the heaviest rain falls. A track closer to Sabine Pass could send more rain toward Beaumont, while a farther-west path could increase the flood risk in Houston, per Houston Chronicle.
Areas east of Interstate 45 could get 3 to 5 inches of rain through Tuesday night and early Wednesday, while some spots could see 6 to 9 inches. Rain could fall at more than 3 to 4 inches per hour, raising the risk of flash flooding, especially in cities.
The flood watch covers Houston and Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, San Jacinto, and Polk counties, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The watch takes effect at 1am Tuesday and remains in place through Wednesday morning, covering areas generally along and east of Interstate 45. Coastal areas could see 40 to 50 mph wind gusts, while stronger rain bands farther inland could bring gusts of 30 to 40 mph. Rain could begin along the upper Texas coast before sunrise and spread inland toward Houston around midday, per the Houston Chronicle. The system could reach the upper Texas coast Tuesday afternoon or evening, likely between High Island and the Texas-Louisiana border. Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for Chambers County, the Bolivar Peninsula and nearby coastal waters through Wednesday morning. More rain and storms may continue into early Wednesday.
