Power outages were reported across south-east Texas as Tropical Storm Edouard brought heavy rain and gusty winds to the Houston area on Tuesday.
Entergy Texas said more than 65,000 customers were without electricity at 9.10pm, while CenterPoint Energy reported 184 customers affected by outages.
Houston power outage tracker
The outage figures were recorded as the storm moved inland after making landfall near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, at about 2.20pm local time, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Edouard had maximum sustained winds of 60mph at landfall. By 7pm, its centre was passing over the Beaumont metropolitan area with winds of about 45mph, while bands of heavy rain continued to spread across south-east Texas.
Residents can check the latest outage information and report faults through the Entergy Texas and CenterPoint Energy websites. Both companies’ online maps show affected areas and the number of customers without power.
The National Weather Service in Houston and Galveston said peak wind gusts across the wider area could reach between 25mph and 40mph. Rainfall of three to six inches was forecast along and east of the Interstate 45 corridor through Wednesday.
Forecasters warned that some rain could fall at rates of up to three or four inches an hour, increasing the risk of flash flooding and flooded streets in parts of the region.
Edouard weakened to a tropical depression late on Tuesday as it travelled further inland, but the National Hurricane Center said heavy rain and tropical-storm-force gusts could continue near the storm’s centre.
