Houston mayor says city is prepared as Tropical Storm Edouard approaches – Click2Houston

Houston mayor says city is prepared as Tropical Storm Edouard approaches  Click2Houston

Houston Mayor John Whitmire will hold a news conference Tuesday morning to discuss the city’s preparedness efforts and plans as Tropical Storm Edouard approaches the area. HOUSTON – Houston Mayor John Whitmire held a news conference Tuesday morning to discuss the city’s preparedness efforts as Tropical Storm Edouard approaches the Houston area, saying the city is “better prepared today than ever in Houston’s history.” Whitmire was joined by Houston Office of Emergency Management, public works, public safety and CenterPoint Energy officials to provide an update on the city’s preparations and what residents should expect over the next several hours. Officials said Edouard is expected to be primarily a rain event for Houston rather than a wind event.

The storm was about 30 to 35 miles off the coast Tuesday morning and was expected to make landfall near the Texas-Louisiana state line within several hours. Officials said the Houston area could see 3 to 5 inches of rain, with isolated totals of 6 to 9 inches depending on the storm’s track. Some areas east and north of Houston could potentially see even higher rainfall totals, with isolated amounts of 10 to 12 inches possible. The storm could also produce rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour at times. The first round of heavier rain is expected Tuesday afternoon through