The remnants of Tropical Storm Edouard weakened into a tropical depression but continued to soak Southeast Texas on Wednesday, triggering flash flood warnings, downed trees and widespread power outages across the Houston region and communities to the northeast.

How Much Rain Has Fallen So Far?

Edouard made landfall Tuesday afternoon near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, close to the Texas border and roughly 80 miles northeast of Houston, packing peak winds of 60 mph. By Tuesday night the system had weakened to a depression with winds near 35 mph, but its slow northward crawl through Wednesday kept the rain coming. Areas northwest of Beaumont saw between 10 and 21 inches of rain in a matter of hours, according to the National Weather Service, with forecasters warning of additional rainfall rates of up to 5 inches per hour on top of already saturated ground.

Is Houston Still at Risk of Flash Flooding?

The National Weather Service issued a high risk flash flood outlook centered north of Houston and Beaumont as the storm’s remnants pushed inland. A flood warning covering rural communities in Hardin and Tyler counties carried an especially urgent message from forecasters: “This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!” While the storm’s center has largely cleared the Houston metro area, areas along its path toward Dallas continued receiving torrential downpours Wednesday.

How Many Customers Have Lost Power?

Roughly 75,000 utility customers across at least eight counties in southeast Texas remained without electricity as of Wednesday morning, according to outage tracking data. Entergy, which serves the area stretching from The Woodlands to Beaumont, reported more than 60,000 customers in the dark Tuesday night alone. Closer to Houston, CenterPoint Energy said it had restored power to roughly 8,900 customers since early Tuesday, with only a couple hundred outages remaining in its service territory by late evening.

What Damage Has Been Reported?

In Beaumont, where the storm’s center passed Tuesday, police reported downed trees blocking roadways, non-functioning traffic signals and flooded underpasses. Several drivers became stranded in floodwaters and needed assistance. A weather station in Port Arthur recorded a wind gust of 90 mph during the height of the storm, and storm chasers documented gusts exceeding 70 mph in Beaumont that toppled trees, billboards and power lines.

Have Schools and Local Offices Closed?

Several Houston area school districts announced closures for Wednesday as the storm’s threat grew. Conroe ISD and Willis ISD both shut down classes, citing the potential for heavy rainfall, flooding, power outages and hazardous roads across their coverage areas, while other districts, including Magnolia ISD, opted to remain open while continuing to monitor conditions. State offices in several affected counties were also closed Wednesday, with some expected to reopen later in the day as conditions improve. Port Arthur’s mayor issued a disaster declaration ahead of the storm’s landfall Tuesday.

What Should Residents Do Now?

Officials are urging residents in the affected counties to avoid unnecessary travel, steer clear of flooded roadways and underpasses, and monitor local alerts as flash flood warnings remain active. Downed power lines should be treated as live and reported to utility crews rather than approached directly.

This story is developing. FOU News will continue to follow developments as authorities and emergency services release new information.