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Tropical Storm Edouard Breezes Through Texas

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The Associated Press

Published: August 6, 2008

GALVESTON, Texas - Surfers and joggers hit the beach Tuesday after Tropical Storm Edouard brushed past and caused little damage, while inland farmers hoped the storm's remnants would help ease drought conditions.

"Galveston is open for business, and we certainly welcome the tourists back to the island," said City Manager Steve LeBlanc, whose island city of about 60,000 typically doubles in population during the peak tourist months.

Forecasters had feared Edouard could become a hurricane, and both Texas and Louisiana prepared for an emergency.

But when it made landfall east of Galveston and west of the Louisiana border, between the small coastal town of High Island and Sabine Pass, winds gusted as high as 65 mph, 9 mph below hurricane strength. The storm then weakened to a tropical depression as it moved toward Houston on Tuesday afternoon.

"Texas is grateful that this storm did not escalate to hurricane strength before making landfall on our shores," said Gov. Rick Perry.

Inland Texas and western Louisiana prepared for several inches of rain that could help ease drought conditions.

Ranchers and farmers in central and southeastern Texas along Interstate 10 would welcome the relief, said John Nielsen-Gammon, the state's climatologist at Texas A&M University.

Parts of those areas remain in exceptional drought.

HURRICANE FORECAST REVISED

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - A noted hurricane researcher has revised his Atlantic forecast upward and now calls for a total of nine hurricanes this season - an increase of one. Former Colorado State University climatologist William Gray says five of the hurricanes will be major. The forecast issued Tuesday includes hurricanes Bertha and Dolly last month.

April and June forecasts by Gray and his team at Colorado State said there would be 15 named storms in the Atlantic. Tuesday's revision calls for 17, including the five already recorded.

The Associated Press

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