Edouard weakens into a tropical depression after landfall but still dumping rain into Texas

PORT ARTHUR, Texas — The former Tropical Storm Edouard weakened into a depression Tuesday night while unleashing heavy rains and strong winds on parts of Texas, knocking out power to thousands, toppling trees and flooding roads.

The storm downgraded hours after making landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said the system would keep losing strength as it pushed inland but would likely continue to produce heavy rains and possible flooding into Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a burst of tropical weather continued in the Pacific, where three named storms were churning in open waters.

The hurricane center expected Edouard to dump 3 to 7 inches (8 to 17 centimeters) of rain with up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) in some areas.

As the center of the storm passed over Beaumont, Texas, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Houston, the city’s offices were shuttered and the Texas Office of Emergency Management warned residents to stay off the road.

Throughout the city were downed trees blocking roads, traffic signals that weren’t working and flooded underpasses, Beaumont Police said in a post on social media.

About 32,000 utility customers were…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business