Tropical Storm Edouard is heading toward Southeast Texas, and ten school districts have already decided not to wait and see. All announced Monday that campuses will be closed Tuesday as the system approaches the region.

The ABC13 Weather Team has declared Tuesday a Weather Alert Day, citing the threat of heavy rainfall and potential flooding.

Which Districts Are Closed

Officials confirmed that campuses, offices and all school activities will be shut on 1 September at:

• Anahuac ISD
• Channelview ISD
• Crosby ISD
• Dayton ISD
• Galena Park ISD
• Huffman ISD
• Humble ISD
• Liberty ISD
• Sheldon ISD
• Splendora ISD

No closures have been announced for Wednesday. District officials said they are watching conditions and will issue updates as the situation develops.

Parents should expect that to change either way depending on how much rain falls Tuesday and how quickly water drains afterward.

What Harris County Is Watching

The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said Monday it is tracking the system closely.

Officials identified the likely impacts for Harris County as thunderstorms, hazardous driving conditions, and elevated flood risk in areas near rivers, streams and bayous.

That last category deserves attention. Bayou-adjacent neighbourhoods across the Houston area respond quickly to heavy rain, and water levels can rise well after the rain itself has stopped as upstream runoff works its way through the system.

HCOHSEM advised residents to stay weather aware and to make sure they have more than one way to receive emergency alerts. The agency directs the public to ReadyHarris.org, its social media channels, and to sign up for ReadyHarris Alerts or ReadyHarris Accessible Alerts.

Having multiple alert channels matters more than it sounds. Power outages take out televisions and Wi-Fi, and a phone that only receives one type of notification can miss a warning issued through another.

Utility Preparations

CenterPoint Energy announced Monday morning that it has activated its Emergency Operations Center ahead of landfall.

In a statement, the company said it is actively monitoring and preparing for potential impacts from the system, referred to in the statement as Invest 97L, across Southeast Texas including Greater Houston beginning Tuesday.

CenterPoint said the storm could deliver several inches of heavy rain, localised flooding and gusty winds within its service territory. The company said its workforce is ready to respond to disruptions affecting both electric and gas service, and that it is continuing to coordinate with local government officials.

Activating an emergency operations centre before landfall is standard practice, but it signals that the utility expects at least some outages rather than treating this as a routine rain event.

What to Do Before Tuesday

With a day’s notice, there is time to handle the basics.

• Charge phones, laptops and backup batteries fully
• Clear leaves and debris from storm drains near your property
• Move vehicles off low-lying streets and out of flood-prone driveways
• Fill up on fuel before Tuesday morning
• Keep flashlights and batteries somewhere you can find them in the dark
• Have a few days of drinking water and non-perishable food on hand
• Save important documents somewhere waterproof or elevated
• Know at least two routes out of your neighbourhood in case one floods

If you rely on medical equipment that needs power, this is the moment to plan for an outage rather than after one begins.

Driving Is the Main Risk

The single most dangerous decision during a flooding event is getting behind the wheel and continuing through standing water.

Depth is nearly impossible to judge from a driver’s seat, and moving water carries far more force than it appears to. Roads can also be undermined beneath water that looks shallow.

The advice remains unchanged: turn around, don’t drown. If your route is flooded, find another one or stay put.

The Bigger Picture

Ten districts closing in advance reflects a lesson Southeast Texas learned expensively over the past decade. Storms that arrive during a school day create the worst possible scenario, with buses on flooded roads and parents attempting pickups in deteriorating conditions.

Closing preemptively costs a day of instruction. Not closing can cost far more.

For now, the region is in the preparation window. Tuesday brings the rain, Wednesday remains uncertain, and the guidance from every agency involved comes down to the same thing: stay informed, stay off flooded roads, and have a way to get alerts when the power goes out.