Katy and Fulshear are under a flood watch but face a lower risk of heavy rain as Tropical Storm Edouard barrels toward the upper Texas coast Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The National Weather Service expanded the flood watch Monday, Aug. 31, to include Fort Bend County, which covers parts of the Katy area. KPRC 2 meteorologist Justin Stapleton posted on X that the watch runs through 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3. Harris and Waller counties are also covered.

KHOU identified Katy, Sugar Land and Richmond as having a lower risk for the heaviest rain. The greatest impacts are forecast for communities east and northeast of Houston.

Space City Weather issued a Stage 1 flood alert for areas west of Interstate 45, projecting 0.5 to 2 inches of rainfall for Katy and Fulshear. East of I-45, a Stage 2 alert is in effect with 2 to 5 inches expected. "This is probably not your storm," Space City Weather wrote.

Still, some storm models show higher rain totals possible in Katy, KPRC 2 reported. The NWS warned that rainfall rates could exceed 3 to 4 inches per hour during the most intense bands, creating flash flood risk even in areas expecting lighter totals.

Lamar CISD schools open Tuesday

Lamar CISD said on X Monday that its schools and facilities would operate on regular schedules Tuesday. The district also warned residents that false, AI-generated information claiming Lamar CISD would close was circulating online. The district directed families to check its official channels for updates.

Multiple school districts east of I-45 canceled classes Tuesday, including Galveston ISD, Humble ISD and Goose Creek CISD.

County and state preparations

Fort Bend County Judge Daniel Wong said on X on Monday that the county was monitoring tropical activity and securing the Epicenter as a potential emergency shelter.

CenterPoint Energy, which serves the Katy-Fulshear area, activated its Emergency Operations Center at 8 a.m. Monday, KPRC 2 reported. The company staged 2,700 frontline electric workers and more than 100 gas workers across Greater Houston. All electric substations had been inspected and tested within the last 30 days, the company said.

Gov. Greg Abbott activated the state's emergency operations center around the clock, deploying 20 agencies and 1,500 personnel along with rescue aircraft and swift-water boats, Houston Public Media reported.

Storm details

The National Hurricane Center upgraded the system from Tropical Depression 5 on Monday evening. As of 7 p.m. Monday, Edouard had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving west-northwest at 6 mph toward the Jefferson County coast south of Beaumont. KPRC 2 meteorologist Rachel Briers forecast the storm could reach 65 mph at landfall Tuesday afternoon.

A hurricane watch was in effect from High Island, Texas, to Cameron, Louisiana, USA Today reported.

Wind gusts in the 20s are expected across the Katy-Fulshear area Tuesday. Gusts of 30 to 35 mph are possible along and east of I-45, according to Space City Weather.

The flood watch for Fort Bend County runs through 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3.