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Edouard Gains Little Strength As It Heads West In Gulf

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 4, 2008

Updated: 08/04/2008 05:55 pm

TAMPA - Tropical Storm Edouard spent this afternoon getting better organized but gained little strength through the day as tropical storm winds began brushing the Louisiana coast.

Forecasters at the at the National Hurricane Center think, however, that Edouard could be close to hurricane strength when it reaches land Tuesday, with winds approaching 70 mph.

This is despite the storm weakening slightly this morning, with winds dropping to just more than 40 mph, barely enough to remain a tropical storm and Previous measurements put the storm's winds close to 50 mph.

Though Edouard did not gain strength during the day, the storm's wind field did expand. Winds of more than 39 mph were recorded in Louisiana, about 70 miles from the center.

The storm is entering an area in the Gulf of Mexico where conditions will allow it to strengthen and overnight and Tuesday morning. The forecast calls for Edouard's winds to be more than 65 mph when it hits land.

A storm becomes a hurricane when winds reach at least 74 mph.

The hurricane center expects Edouard to produce a storm surge of 2 to 4 feet and up to 5 inches of rain, though 10 inches could fall in some places. Tornadoes could form in Texas and Louisiana before the storm reaches land, forecasters said.

The forecast track has varied little as it moves toward the west or west northwest at about 7 mph. The forecast calls for the storm to hit near the border of Texas and Louisiana, .

Edouard, the season's fifth named storm, formed Sunday from an area of low pressure in the north central part of the Gulf.

Meanwhile, an area of disturbed weather that was being watched during the weekend lost any likelihood of forming either a tropical depression or storm, the hurricane center said.

The tropical disturbance was several hundred miles from the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

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