Former Tropical Storm Edouard dumped more than 20 inches of rain on parts of east Texas, triggering a flash flood emergency that left homes and roadways underwater for days, according to CNN and NBC News.
Key Points
- Localized rainfall topped 20 inches north of Beaumont, Texas, with the hardest-hit spots seeing a month’s worth of rain fall in a single hour
- The National Weather Service issued its highest-level flash flood emergency for Hardin and Tyler counties, then a second emergency for the Saratoga area and western Hardin County
- More than 30,000 homes and businesses were still without power Thursday afternoon as the storm eased
- Around a dozen motorists were rescued, along with five residents (including three children and a baby) pulled from a flooded mobile home, and 21 residents evacuated from an assisted living facility
What Happened
- Edouard made landfall and then stalled over eastern Texas, dropping repeated rounds of rain on the same ground for days
- An initial deluge Wednesday brought 10 to 21 inches in the hardest-hit areas; a second round that night added another 2 to 4 inches per hour in the same locations
- Roughly 10 structures were damaged by fallen trees, including one commercial building with extensive roof damage
- Creek overflow pushed water to waist-deep levels in some flooded homes, and rain continued easing into Friday with additional hit-or-miss storms possible
A storm that stalls does more damage than one that simply passes through fast, because the ground has no chance to drain between rounds of rain. That’s what turned Edouard’s remnants into a multi-day flooding event rather than a single bad afternoon. The same neighborhoods in Hardin and Tyler counties took on more water Wednesday night after already flooding earlier that day.
What Affected Homeowners Should Do
- Treat any home that took on floodwater as a mold risk: wet drywall, carpet and insulation typically need to be removed within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth
- Do not turn on electrical systems or appliances that were submerged until an electrician has inspected them
- Photograph all damage before starting cleanup, for insurance and any federal disaster assistance claims
- Boil tap water or use bottled water until local officials confirm the water supply is safe, since floodwater can contaminate wells and municipal systems
- Never drive through a flooded roadway, since most flood deaths involve vehicles driven into moving water
East Texas has now seen several multi-day flood events in recent years tied to slow-moving tropical systems, a pattern that has pushed local officials to treat storms well below hurricane strength with the same seriousness as a major landfalling storm once rainfall totals start climbing into the double digits.