Tropical Storm Edouard Tuesday made landfall on the upper coast of the south central state of Texas near the state of Louisiana, bringing with it heavy rains and strong winds.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Edouard is carrying maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers an hour.
Forecasters say Edouard could dump as much as 25 centimeters of rain in parts of southeastern Texas. They also warn the storm may spawn tornadoes.
Forecasters expect the storm to weaken as it continues to move inland.
The storm crossed an area of the Gulf of Mexico that contains many oil and natural gas platforms. Energy companies had been working to prepare their facilities for the storm.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a statewide emergency. Texas Governor Rick Perry has issued a state of emergency for 17 counties, and has called up state military forces.
Edouard is the fifth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
