A flood watch takes effect at 1 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, for Harris and Galveston counties. Tropical Depression Five is pushing toward the Upper Texas Coast, threatening Friendswood, Webster, Seabrook, Nassau Bay and Clear Lake Shores with heavy rain, gusty winds and possible flash flooding.
The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning Monday, Aug. 31, for the northwestern Gulf Coast from Port Bolivar to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line in Louisiana. The NHC upgraded the system to Tropical Depression Five as of 1 p.m. CDT Monday, with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph and higher gusts. The depression sat about 230 miles southeast of Port Arthur.
Forecasters expect the system to strengthen into a tropical storm by Monday night. If it does, it would be named Tropical Storm Edouard, the fifth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
The exact western boundary of the tropical storm warning is disputed across outlets. Houston Public Media reported the warning does not include Houston or Galveston, while CW39 listed Seabrook, Webster, Friendswood, Nassau Bay and Clear Lake Shores as under the warning.
Regardless of the warning's precise boundary, the flood watch and rainfall threat apply directly to the Clear Lake area.
What to expect
The heaviest rain is forecast from late Tuesday morning through Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office. Rainfall rates could exceed 3 to 4 inches per hour during the strongest downpours.
The NWS projects 3 to 5 inches of rain east of I-45, with isolated totals of 6 to 9 inches possible. The NHC's advisory puts the broader range at 3 to 6 inches, with a 9-inch maximum for parts of the Upper Texas Coast.
The Houston Chronicle reported tropical storm-force wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph could hit the eastern upper Texas Gulf Coast and Chambers County from late Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening. Widespread power outages are not expected, though isolated outages are possible near where the system moves ashore.
NWS meteorologist Brian Kyle told Houston Public Media on Monday that the inland metro area faces mainly a rainfall threat. "With any tropical system, you could get some gusty winds, especially near the coast and offshore … For those folks further inland, metro area and northward we are looking more of a rainfall impact," Kyle said.
Storm surge of 1 to 3 feet above normal is possible from High Island to the Vermilion/Iberia Parish Line if the peak surge coincides with high tide, according to the NHC.
How to prepare
CenterPoint Energy activated its Emergency Operations Center on Monday morning, according to the company. Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's vice president of special response and distribution operations, said the company has activated preparedness plans and crews stand ready to respond to service impacts. Customers who rely on electricity for medical equipment should have a safety plan ready, the company said.
Residents can sign up for CenterPoint's Power Alert Service for outage updates or track outages on the company's online outage map.
KPRC 2 published a checklist Monday advising residents to charge devices and battery packs, bring in loose outdoor items, clear gutters and storm drains, gather emergency supplies including water and flashlights, and fill vehicles with gas before conditions worsen.
Never drive through flooded roads.
The flood watch runs through 7 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2.
