Tropical Storm Edouard: AccuWeather Provides Most Advance Notice, Most Accurate Landfall and Flood Risk Forecasts
Across all forecasts for Edouard, AccuWeather was 26% more accurate than the NHC in predicting the landfall location and 40% more accurate in predicting the intensity.
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Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, at around 2:20 p.m. local time on Sept. 1. Both Texas and Louisiana were slammed by the storm’s high winds, heavy rain and flooding.
Tropical Storm Edouard brought life-threatening flooding to parts of eastern Texas in early September 2026. AccuWeather provided the most advance notice, an exceptionally accurate first track forecast which was issued 18 hours in advance, and clearer communication of the significant flooding risk compared to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and all other known sources.
On the morning of Sunday, Aug. 30, AccuWeather identified a medium risk for tropical development in the Gulf, while the NHC continued to indicate only a low risk.
AccuWeather issued its first forecast track at 4 p.m. CT Sunday, 18 hours before the NHC issued its first track at 10 a.m. Monday. AccuWeather’s initial forecast landfall point was only 23.5 miles from the actual landfall location, and the forecast called for landfall at noon CT, compared with the actual landfall at 2:20 p.m. CT.
Across all forecasts for Edouard, AccuWeather was 26% more accurate than the NHC in predicting the landfall location and 40% more accurate in predicting the intensity.
AccuWeather also provided significantly more advance notice than the NHC when issuing tropical storm warnings. AccuWeather’s more advance warnings benefited AccuWeather For Business SkyGuard® customers and customers of the AccuWeather Premium+ feature in the AccuWeather app.
-- At 6 p.m. Sunday, AccuWeather issued a Severe Weather Potential: Tropical Rainstorm for parts of the upper Texas coast, providing 17 hours of advance notice before the NHC issued tropical storm warnings.
-- At 10 a.m. Monday, AccuWeather upgraded the potential to a Severe Weather Threat: Tropical Storm, one hour before the NHC issued tropical storm warnings.
-- The NHC never issued a tropical storm watch, instead going directly to tropical storm warnings just 26.5 hours prior to the storm making landfall. AccuWeather provided nearly a day more notice.
AccuWeather consistently predicted that rainfall from Edouard could exceed 10 inches, providing earlier and more accurate communication of the serious flood threat. The NHC continued to forecast maximum rainfall of only 9 inches until Tuesday at 4 p.m., when it increased its forecast to 12 inches and later to 20 inches. AccuWeather’s earlier impact-focused forecast provided businesses and people with valuable additional time to prepare.
Although Edouard was not designated on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which is used by the NHC and most weather organizations and accounts for wind speed only, AccuWeather rated Edouard a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes. Edouard brought life-threatening flooding to parts of eastern Texas.
The AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes is a six-point scale, less than 1 and 1 through 5, that covers not only wind speed but also flooding rain, storm surge and economic damage and loss. Some of these hazards, such as inland flooding and storm surge in many storms, result in more deaths and economic loss than wind. A rating of 1 indicates the risk for localized flooding.
This situation is exactly why AccuWeather developed this exclusive scale – to help better convey impacts from storms, which would not be rated on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which only accounts for wind speed.
AccuWeather’s exclusive AssetReport™ enabled business customers to automatically identify specific assets at risk and important location-specific details such as how much rain, wind and storm surge were expected at each asset. Additionally, these hazard areas can be displayed on interactive maps within the AccuWeather For Business Portal, enabling quick identification of impacted locations and supply chain and business continuity concerns.
These exclusive capabilities allowed AccuWeather For Business SkyGuard® clients and AccuWeather Premium+ subscribers to take protective actions with greater confidence and more time to prepare than those relying solely on government advisories.
Study after study has shown that AccuWeather provides more accurate and often earlier notifications and greater detail on significant and extreme weather events that affect businesses and threaten the health, welfare and lives of individuals. AccuWeather has proven to be the most trusted and most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings. This is another example of the more than 100 events every year in which AccuWeather forecasts with proven Superior Accuracy™ and clearer descriptions of weather impacts help people, communities and businesses better prepare and stay safer.
AccuWeather's Hurricane Warning Service™
AccuWeather's Hurricane Warning ServiceTM often delivers the earliest and most accurate tropical storm and hurricane forecasts, giving businesses critical extra lead time to protect employees, assets, and operations. The service includes:
• Eye Path® Forecasts — Proprietary track and intensity forecasts are often issued ahead of the National Hurricane Center and all other known sources, often by many hours to a full day.
• AssetReport™ — Automated identification of at-risk assets with location-specific rain, wind, and storm surge details, viewable on interactive maps in the AccuWeather For Business Portal and mobile app.
• Direct Access to Hurricane Experts — Scheduled video briefings, on-demand phone consultations, and a dedicated secure chat room for round-the-clock questions during active storms.
• Proven Superior Accuracy™ — Independently verified track and intensity forecasts that consistently outperform the NHC, backed by more than 100 major events every year.
Why take unnecessary risks? Better protect your business before the next hurricane or tropical storm strikes. Contact AccuWeather For Business today and schedule a meeting to learn more about our Hurricane Warning Service™.
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