Tropical Depression Forms in Gulf, Set to Hit Texas and Louisiana

A tropical depression formed Monday afternoon in the northern Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center, and is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Edouard before making landfall along the Texas-Louisiana coast.

The system, designated Tropical Depression Five, was upgraded from a tropical disturbance as of 1 m. Monday. It was located about 120 miles southeast of Morgan City, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, moving northwest at 5 mph. Forecasters expect it to strengthen and reach sustained winds of 45 mph within the next 24 hours.

An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance plane flew into the storm Monday morning and found a well-defined center of circulation, according to KXAN. The system is over warm waters with low wind shear, conditions that could help it strengthen.

If the depression reaches tropical storm strength, it will be named Edouard, making it the fifth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

The storm is expected to move slowly northwest over the next couple of days, with landfall expected Tuesday afternoon or evening near Galveston, Texas, according to Fox26 Houston. It is then forecast to weaken quickly as it moves inland, becoming a post-tropical system over Texas by Wednesday morning and dissipating over east Texas.

Warnings and Impact

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish line in Louisiana. A flood watch is in effect from Monday night through Wednesday morning for parts of southeast Texas, and a storm surge of 1 to 2 feet is possible along the coast from the Texas/Louisiana line to the Iberia Parish line in Louisiana.

Heavy rain, with possible flash flooding, is expected along the Upper Texas coast, through east-central Texas, and into far southwestern Louisiana. Increased chances of rain and some risk of flash flooding are also forecast for the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, where coastal portions of the New Orleans metro area could see numerous storms, according to the National Weather Service’s New Orleans office.