PORT ARTHUR, Texas (AP) — The former Tropical Storm Edouard weakened into a depression but dumped heavy rain, flooded roads and knocked down trees Wednesday in parts of Texas as it slowly moved north in the state.
Schools and municipal offices were closed and residents were told to stay at home. Some areas northwest of Beaumont, where the center of the storm passed Tuesday, received between 10 inches (25 centimeters) and 21 inches (53 centimeters) of rain in a matter of hours, the National Weather Service and emergency officials said.
The storm was downgraded Tuesday night, hours after making landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. The system was losing strength as it pushed inland but was still producing heavy rains and some flooding Wednesday. It was expected to break up by Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, a burst of tropical weather continued in the Pacific Ocean, where two hurricanes and a tropical storm that was likely to develop into one were churning in open waters Wednesday.
