Galveston, Texas — Surfers and joggers hit the beach Tuesday after Tropical Storm Edouard brushed past and caused little damage, while inland farmers hoped the storm’s remnants would help ease drought conditions.
“Galveston is open for business, and we certainly welcome the tourists back to the island,” said City Manager Steve LeBlanc, whose island city of about 60,000 typically doubles in population during the peak tourist months.
Forecasters had feared Edouard could become a hurricane, and both Texas and Louisiana prepared for an emergency.
When it made landfall east of Galveston and west of the Louisiana border, between the small coastal town of High Island and Sabine Pass, winds gusted as high as 65 mph, 9 mph below hurricane strength. The storm then weakened to a tropical depression as it moved past Houston Tuesday afternoon.
“Texas is grateful that this storm did not escalate to hurricane strength before making landfall on our shores,” said Gov. Rick Perry.
Inland Texas prepared for several inches of rain that could help ease drought conditions. On Tuesday night the storm’s remnants were expected to continue moving northwest from Houston and sustained winds had dropped below 35 mph.
Ranchers and farmers in central and southeastern Texas along Interstate 10 would welcome the relief, said John Nielsen-Gammon, the state’s climatologist at Texas A&M; University.
Parts of those areas remain in exceptional drought, according to last week’s U.S. Drought Monitor map. Some ranchers are finding it difficult to feed their livestock.
The rain “will help in the short term at least,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “You’ll see some green-up. Ideally, if you get enough rain you can sustain a good bit of growth and maybe get some hay out of it.”
Jim McAdams, a fourth-generation rancher and past president of the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, wasn’t at home Tuesday to see if rain from Edouard was falling on his ranch just southeast of San Antonio.
He got an inch or so from Hurricane Dolly a couple of weeks ago, which greened up his pastures pretty well. It’s been a tough year, he said.
“Overall it’s just one of those years everybody’s just hanging on living from one rain to the next,” he said.
Galveston and surrounding areas certainly were grateful they dodged the fate of another Texas tourist hotspot, South Padre Island, hit by the 100-mph winds of Dolly last month.
Earlier forecasts had the center of the storm passing over Galveston, but the only noticeable damage after the storm was to a tree on the city’s golf course.
A few hours later, surfers were hitting the waves and beaches were filled with joggers and people walking their dogs as they would on any other summer day during tourist season.
Houston homebuilder Rodney Graham, who like a lot of vacationers stayed through the storm with his family, watched his 10-year-old daughter Haley ride a wave on her surfboard.
“I grew up in Houston,” he said. “A tropical storm that has 45-mile-per-hour winds is just a rainstorm.”
Edouard skirted the Louisiana coast on its way to Texas, raising tides and pushing water into bayous and yards. Residents of low-lying areas south of the Intracoastal Waterway in Cameron were ordered to evacuate Monday but were expected to be able to return later Tuesday.
CenterPoint Energy said 13,000 customers in eastern Harris County and Chambers County were still without electricity. Entergy Texas has more than 16,700 customers in southeast Texas without power.
Houston’s two major airports, Hobby and Bush International, operated on Tuesday with some flight delays. The U.S. Coast Guard said the Houston ship channel had been reopened to ship traffic with some restrictions and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway was open to barge traffic.
Edouard cut production about 6 percent from the Gulf’s normal daily oil output, the U.S. Mineral Management Service said. Natural gas production was cut by about 12 percent.
Oil and gas companies evacuated 154 of the 717 manned platforms and nine of the 125 exploratory rigs in the Gulf.
Local News
Texas beach towns get back to normal after storm
- Local News
-
-
SAFETY DAY
Picayune Police officers made a visit to the First Baptist Church of Picayune’s preschool class for their Community Helpers Safety Day. During the event the kids got to meet police officers and trigger lights and sirens in patrol vehicles.
- Escapee caught in county Pearl River County Sheriff’s deputies have captured the inmate who escaped from Mississippi Department of Corrections custody on Friday after attending his father’s wake in Picayune.
- Council discusses which funds to spend first On the same day as the ground breaking for the addition to the historic City Hall, city council members discussed which funds to spend first in its construction.
-
Poplarville aldermen honor Holliday, get audit report briefing
The city board of aldermen honored former District Three Supervisor Hudson Holliday at its Tuesday night meeting.
Mayor Billy Spiers presented Holliday with a framed resolution of appreciation for his dedication and service to the city while serving as county supervisor.
-
MRI INSTALLED
This $1.2 million Magnetic Resonance Imaging equipment was installed at the new location of Highland Community Hospital.
-
Hall suspected of robbery after escaping
A man who escaped from jail after attending his father’s wake is suspected of having carried out an armed robbery on the Texas-Arkansas state line. Johnny Hall escaped from Mississippi Department of Corrections custody on Friday while attending his father’s wake in Picayune.
-
City Hall expansion groundbreaking held
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday at the construction site for the expansion of the historic Picayune City Hall. “You can see our future when you look down Goodyear Boulevard. You see Chimney Square, our high school, The Link at First Baptist Church, Jack Read Park and then our historic City Hall.
-
PRC athletic director says he’ll recommend random drug testing
Pearl River Central athletic director Andy Kivlan told the school board at its Monday night meeting that he will most likely recommend that students participating in extracurricular activities, including band and ROTC, be subject to random drug screening.
-
Supervisors adopt resolution encouraging more economic development in South Miss.
Following a short presentation by State Sen. Tony Smith (R-Picayune), the board of supervisors adopted on Monday a resolution encouraging state officials and agencies to exercise “fairness and parity” regarding location of new industries in Mississippi.
-
MDEQ wants comprehensive waste disposal plan from county
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has told Pearl River County it wants a comprehensive waste disposal plan for the county. Supervisors indicated at their Monday meeting that they are not happy with the request.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
White House Attacks Romney on Birth Control
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Mo. Teen Gets Life Sentence for Killing Girl, 9
Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
