More than a dozen Southeast Texas school districts canceled Tuesday classes as Tropical Storm Edouard approached the upper Texas coast, and the reasoning behind those closures is worth holding onto after the storm passes.
ABC13 reported that Anahuac, Channelview, Crosby, Dayton, Galena Park, Huffman and Sheldon independent school districts closed campuses, offices and school activities. Humble, Liberty and Tarkington ISDs also closed, according to Houston Public Media's district-by-district closure list, which also noted that Galveston ISD closed its Crenshaw Environmental Science Magnet campus and suspended bus service to and from Bolivar while its other campuses stayed open. Southwest Public Schools moved to a 1 p.m. dismissal. Farther east, Hamshire-Fannett ISD in Jefferson County closed and said it expected to resume normal operations Wednesday.
The immediate hazard is water on roads during dismissal hours. The larger hazard, the one that fills emergency departments, begins once the rain stops and families start cleaning up.
What the Storm Is Actually Forecast to Do
The National Hurricane Center upgraded Tropical Depression Five to Tropical Storm Edouard on Monday evening, making it the fifth named storm of the season. Landfall was expected Tuesday near the Texas and Louisiana line, with the system forecast to weaken quickly once inland.
Most areas east of Interstate 45, including Harris and Galveston counties, were placed under a flood watch covering Harris and Galveston counties running from 1 a.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday. Forecasters expected 3 to 6 inches of rain with higher isolated totals, with up to 9 inches possible on the upper Texas coast and the heaviest bands falling east of I-45. A tropical storm warning covered the coast from Port Bolivar eastward into Louisiana, and a storm surge watch was in effect from High Island into southwest Louisiana.
CenterPoint Energy activated its emergency operations center Monday morning and said it was monitoring and preparing for heavy rainfall, localized flooding and gusty winds across its service territory.
The Days After Landfall Are When Households Get Hurt
Storm injuries cluster in recovery, not impact. Three exposures account for most of them, and all three are avoidable.
Portable generators are the first. Carbon monoxide from a generator run in a garage, on a porch, or near an open window can reach fatal levels within minutes. The gas has no odor and no color. Generators belong outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from doors, windows, and vents. Early carbon monoxide poisoning looks like a stomach bug or a bad headache, and families often blame stress or the heat. Anyone in a household with a running generator who develops headache, nausea, dizziness or confusion should get outside into fresh air first and call for help second.
Floodwater is the second. Street flooding in a large metropolitan area carries sewage, fuel, lawn chemicals, and whatever washed out of storm drains. Skin contact matters most when there is already a cut or scrape. Anyone who wades should wash with soap and clean water afterward, and any wound that reddens, swells, or streaks warrants a call to a clinician rather than a wait-and-see approach.
Mold is the third, and it is slower. Wet drywall, carpet padding, and insulation can begin growing mold within a day or two. Households with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or infants have the most to lose from a delayed cleanup.
Medication and Dialysis Access Deserve a Plan Tonight
Power outages are the quiet medical emergency of storm weeks.
Households that depend on refrigerated medication should know now what their pharmacy advises. Most insulin can tolerate room temperature for a limited window, but the window varies by product, and the safe answer comes from the pharmacist who filled the prescription rather than from a general rule. People using home oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines, powered wheelchairs or infusion pumps should confirm battery backup and know which nearby facility has generator power.
Dialysis patients face the tightest timeline. Missing a single session is consequential, and clinics may close or reschedule. Patients should call their center before Tuesday afternoon rather than after, and ask what the backup location is if their usual site loses power or becomes unreachable.
What County Officials Actually Said
The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said Monday that it was monitoring the system and that potential impacts may include "thunderstorms, hazardous travel conditions, and increased flood risk"in areas with rivers, streams and bayous. The office urged residents to remain weather aware and to keep multiple ways of receiving local emergency alerts.
That last instruction matters more than it sounds. Cell service degrades during outages, and a single alert channel is a single point of failure. A battery radio, a charged phone with wireless emergency alerts enabled, and one neighbor who will knock on the door cover most of the gap.
Districts said they would decide on Wednesday operations as conditions developed. Tarkington ISD said it would communicate its Wednesday decision by 6 p.m. Tuesday. Families should assume the schedule can change twice in one day and check the district channel rather than social media reposts.
The Part That Is Still Unknown
The storm's exact track, rainfall totals, and the number of households that lose power are all unresolved. So is whether closures extend into Wednesday. Nothing in the current forecast supports panic buying or evacuation from the Houston metro, and no evacuation order has been issued. Several districts, including Pearland and Tomball, planned to operate normally.
The reasonable posture is preparation without alarm. Charge devices, fill prescriptions that are due, know the dialysis backup, keep the generator outside, and stay off flooded roads. Water depth on a street cannot be judged from inside a car.
Anyone with a chronic heart or lung condition should keep rescue medication within reach rather than in a bedroom drawer. Households with young children should identify the highest floor available to them. And anyone who leaves a flooded home should take medication bottles, not just the pills, because a pharmacist can refill faster with the label in hand.
Officials expect updated rainfall and flood guidance through Tuesday and Wednesday. MedicalDaily will monitor National Weather Service products, Harris County emergency management updates, and district closure announcements.
Key Questions Answered
Which Southeast Texas districts closed Tuesday? Anahuac, Channelview, Crosby, Dayton, Galena Park, Huffman, Humble, Liberty, Sheldon, and Tarkington ISDs closed. Southwest Public Schools dismissed at 1 p.m. Hamshire-Fannett ISD also closed.
Is the Houston area under a flood watch? Yes. Most areas east of Interstate 45, including Harris and Galveston counties, were under a flood watch from 1 a.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Where should a portable generator go? Outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the home, with exhaust directed away from doors, windows, and vents. Never in a garage, basement, porch, or crawl space, even with the door open.
What are the early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning? Headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness and confusion. Symptoms often resemble a viral illness. Anyone with these symptoms near a running generator should move to fresh air immediately and seek medical help.
Is floodwater dangerous to touch? Street floodwater in urban areas commonly contains sewage, fuel, and chemical runoff. Wash exposed skin with soap and clean water, and contact a clinician if a wound becomes red, swollen, or increasingly painful.
What should dialysis patients do? Call the dialysis center before Tuesday afternoon to confirm the schedule and identify a backup location. Missing a session carries real risk, and clinics may close or lose power.
When will schools decide about Wednesday? Districts said they would assess conditions and announce separately. Tarkington ISD said it would communicate its Wednesday decision by 6 p.m. Tuesday. Families should check official district channels.
