Latest / EM Morning Brief / Tropical Storm Edouard nears Texas and Louisiana landfall with hurricane watch and surge warning; Grand Canyon flood forces Stage 4 water restrictions and lodging shutdown

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Tropical Storm Edouard nears Texas and Louisiana landfall with hurricane watch and surge warning; Grand Canyon flood forces Stage 4 water restrictions and lodging shutdown · EM Morning Brief

• 0:00
  Cedric: Keep EM Morning Brief in your daily routine.
• 0:03
  Cedric: Subscribe in your preferred podcast player today so every new episode arrives automatically after the show leaves Substack: Good morning, I'm Cedric and this is your EM Morning Brief for Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
• 0:17
  Cedric: Tropical Storm Edouard is closing on the northwest Gulf Coast and is expected to reach land later today.
• 0:24
  Cedric: The National Hurricane Center's 4 a.m.
• 0:26
  Cedric: Central advisory places the center about 65 miles south southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles an hour and a forecast of significant strengthening before landfall.
• 0:40
  Cedric: A Hurricane Watch is in effect from High Island, Texas to Cameron, Louisiana.
• 0:44
  Cedric: A Storm Surge Warning covers High Island to the Vermilion and Cameron parish line, where forecasters expect three to five feet of inundation.
• 0:54
  Cedric: A Tropical Storm Warning runs from Port Bolivar to the Vermilion and Iberia parish line.
• 1:00
  Cedric: The Hurricane Center forecasts three to six inches of rain along the upper Texas coast with isolated totals near nine inches, and warns that a tornado or two is possible this afternoon and evening across southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.
• 1:15
  Cedric: The national wildfire picture remains at Preparedness Level 5, where it has stood since July 18.
• 1:21
  Cedric: The most recent National Interagency Fire Center situation report, published Monday morning, counts 93 uncontained large fires burning a cumulative 3.9 million acres, with 22,434 personnel and 429 crews assigned.
• 1:37
  Cedric: Two incident management teams and 212 fireline personnel from Australia and New Zealand are supporting fires in the Northwest and Great Basin, and 240 soldiers from Joint Base Lewis McChord are deployed to the Little Giant Fire in Washington.
• 1:53
  Cedric: The Northwest geographic area stepped down to Preparedness Level 4 after 44 days at Level 5.
• 1:59
  Cedric: The interagency community is also marking a line of duty death: a federal wildlife officer was fatally injured on August 30 while assisting evacuations on the Railroad South Fire in Oklahoma.
• 2:13
  Cedric: On the cyber side, CISA added two PaperCut NG and MF vulnerabilities to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Monday.
• 2:22
  Cedric: The two chain together to allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute code on the print server.
• 2:27
  Cedric: Federal civilian agencies have until September 14 to remediate, and that is a reasonable internal deadline for county, city, hospital, and school district networks running the same product.
• 2:39
  Cedric: There is no active National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin, and the most recent CDC Health Alert Network notice is still the August 11 arboviral advisory.
• 2:49
  Cedric: FEMA published seven releases Monday, the most operationally significant being a one month extension of the Tropical Storm Arthur assistance deadline in Louisiana.
• 3:00
  Cedric: The State Department updated travel advisories for Libya, Brazil, Nepal, and Oman over the past two days.
• 3:06
  Cedric: Let's run through the states.
• 3:08
  Cedric: Arizona: Recovery operations continue in Grand Canyon National Park after a flash flood tore through Bright Angel Canyon on August 29.
• 3:17
  Cedric: The Park Service reports 62 people were evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail and moved to the South Rim, where the American Red Cross is coordinating assistance.
• 3:28
  Cedric: Nearly all footbridges over Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, and the Colorado River is closed to river traffic.
• 3:35
  Cedric: The Park Service confirmed the recovery of one man on August 30.
• 3:39
  Cedric: News outlets report additional people unaccounted for, and those counts have been shifting.
• 3:45
  Cedric: The most consequential lifeline impact is the Transcanyon Waterline, which is out of service.
• 3:51
  Cedric: The park moved the South Rim to Stage 4 water restrictions at noon Monday, halting all concessioner overnight lodging, shutting off spigots, and prohibiting wood and charcoal fires.
• 4:02
  Cedric: The park remains open for day use.
• 4:04
  Cedric: Arizona's emergency management division is coordinating with the Park Service and Coconino County.
• 4:11
  Cedric: Texas: Texas is the focus of today's tropical response.
• 4:15
  Cedric: Edouard's center is forecast to reach the upper coast this afternoon, and the Hurricane Center's twelve hour point brings 65 mile an hour winds onshore.
• 4:25
  Cedric: A Flood Watch from the Houston and Galveston forecast office runs until 7 a.m.
• 4:29
  Cedric: Wednesday across the greater Houston and Galveston area.
• 4:34
  Cedric: The Weather Prediction Center places the upper coast under a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall, with guidance showing better than a seventy percent chance of at least five inches from Galveston Bay toward College Station.
• 4:46
  Cedric: Elsewhere, the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County stands at 85,303 acres and 31 percent containment with 157 structures destroyed, the largest structure loss on the national active list.
• 5:00
  Cedric: San Antonio's weekend storm restoration is nearly complete, with CPS Energy down to roughly 1,800 customers Monday morning from a peak near 112,000.
• 5:12
  Cedric: Louisiana: Southwest Louisiana sits under the eastern half of the Edouard warning area.
• 5:18
  Cedric: A Hurricane Watch covers western Cameron Parish, and the Storm Surge Warning extends to the Vermilion and Cameron parish line, with one to three feet of surge forecast from there east to Morgan City.
• 5:30
  Cedric: A Wind Advisory runs until 1 a.m.
• 5:32
  Cedric: Wednesday, and forecasters expect two to four inches of rain across far southwest Louisiana.
• 5:39
  Cedric: Separately, FEMA announced Monday that homeowners, renters, and students affected by Tropical Storm Arthur now have until Thursday, October 1 to apply for federal assistance under disaster 4927.
• 5:51
  Cedric: Six parishes are eligible for the June 17 through 24 storm: Avoyelles, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, Saint Landry, Saint Tammany, and Terrebonne.
• 6:01
  Cedric: The prior deadline was Monday, so this is a live change in guidance.
• 6:05
  Cedric: Washington: Washington carries the heaviest fire load in the country.
• 6:09
  Cedric: The Little Giant Fire on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is at 163,089 acres and 49 percent contained, with 26 structures lost and 1,634 personnel assigned.
• 6:23
  Cedric: The Sinlahekin Fire, under state Department of Natural Resources command, is at 166,413 acres and 40 percent contained with 30 structures lost.
• 6:33
  Cedric: The Three Queens Fire is at 8,742 acres and just 5 percent contained with numerous residences and critical infrastructure threatened.
• 6:43
  Cedric: All three carry active evacuations and area, road, and trail closures.
• 6:47
  Cedric: Air quality alerts are posted in the central part of the state.
• 6:51
  Cedric: Oregon: The McCully Fire on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest grew 450 acres to 9,934 and is 2 percent contained, with evacuations and closures in effect and residences and communication infrastructure threatened.
• 7:06
  Cedric: The Austin Fire is at 10,708 acres and uncontained.
• 7:10
  Cedric: Larger incidents are winding down: the Rowe Creek Complex is 92 percent contained at 373,927 acres, and the Big Grass Fire is 94 percent contained at 578,637 acres.
• 7:25
  Cedric: Air quality alerts are posted across central and northwest Oregon, and a Frost Advisory covers the Klamath Basin.
• 7:31
  Cedric: California: The Plaskett Fire in Monterey County posted the largest single day growth in the nation, adding 7,238 acres to reach 15,479 at 1 percent containment.
• 7:44
  Cedric: CAL FIRE lists seven evacuation orders in Monterey County and evacuation warnings extending into San Luis Obispo County, with Highway 1 closed and structure defense underway on Los Burros Road.
• 7:56
  Cedric: The Timber Fire on the Los Padres National Forest is at 24,970 acres and 21 percent contained with evacuations in effect.
• 8:05
  Cedric: Red Flag Warnings cover the northern Sierra front and Surprise Valley through late tonight.
• 8:12
  Cedric: Forecasters also warn that swells from Hurricane Karina, a Category 4 storm well offshore, will bring life threatening surf and rip currents to southern California through midweek.
• 8:23
  Cedric: We have more to cover this morning, but first, a quick word from our sponsors.
• 8:28
  Cedric: Thanks for supporting our sponsors who help make EM Morning Brief possible.
• 8:32
  Cedric: Now, back to this morning’s updates.
• 8:35
  Cedric: Oklahoma: Governor Kevin Stitt has ordered flags to half staff from today through September 4 for the federal wildlife officer who died assisting evacuations on the Railroad South Fire near Indiahoma.
• 8:48
  Cedric: Three new large fires were reported in the state Monday: Railroad South in Comanche County at 500 acres, Alexander Trail near Nashoba at 1,400 acres and 10 percent contained, and the Wright Fire near Dustin at 600 acres and 70
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  Cedric: percent contained.
• 9:06
  Cedric: Local reporting indicates the Railroad South evacuation order has since been lifted and shelters closed, though that has not been confirmed against a primary incident source.
• 9:17
  Cedric: Breezy southerly winds and low humidity keep fire conditions elevated across central and western Oklahoma today.
• 9:24
  Cedric: Montana: The Sand Creek Fire on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is holding at 34,083 acres and 13 percent containment, with numerous structures threatened and evacuations and closures in effect.
• 9:39
  Cedric: A Fire Weather Watch covers the eastern Beaverhead National Forest through midnight Wednesday, and forecasters expect westerly gusts above 40 miles an hour across parts of eastern Montana today.
• 9:52
  Cedric: Indiana: Indiana has two items.
• 9:55
  Cedric: The state's mobile registration intake center for the August flooding disaster rotates today, opening in Gary through Thursday before moving to Munster on Friday and Saturday.
• 10:06
  Cedric: Five sites closed Monday.
• 10:08
  Cedric: Second, state health and emergency medical services leaders announced Monday that Indiana will discontinue routine crowding-based hospital diversion beginning this month, limiting diversion to disaster and critical infrastructure failure.
• 10:21
  Cedric: Indiana becomes the third state in the country to make that change.
• 10:26
  Cedric: A Federal Register notice published today also opens the Public Assistance only track for eleven counties under the August 25 major disaster declaration.
• 10:36
  Cedric: Hawaii: Tropical Storm Lowell is about 630 miles southeast of Hilo with 70 mile an hour winds and is forecast to become a major hurricane by Wednesday.
• 10:47
  Cedric: There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
• 10:50
  Cedric: The Central Pacific Hurricane Center expects swells to begin affecting the islands later this week.
• 10:57
  Cedric: Nevada: The McConnell Fire is at 32,568 acres and 36 percent contained with numerous structures threatened, and the Blue Eagle Fire threatens energy infrastructure at 9,218 acres and 45 percent containment.
• 11:13
  Cedric: A Red Flag Warning covers the northern Sierra front through late tonight.
• 11:17
  Cedric: Idaho: The Crooked Fire grew roughly a thousand acres to 8,433 at 21 percent containment.
• 11:25
  Cedric: A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the Sawtooth Range through 9 p.m.
• 11:29
  Cedric: Mountain, and a fuels and fire behavior advisory remains posted for southwest Idaho.
• 11:34
  Cedric: New Mexico: The Frijoles Fire is at 15,367 acres and 59 percent contained with residences and communication infrastructure threatened.
• 11:45
  Cedric: The 4V Fire northwest of Tucumcari was reported as a new large fire at 1,000 acres and 50 percent containment.
• 11:53
  Cedric: Colorado: The Aspen Acres Fire is 82 percent contained at 102,004 acres with 915 structures destroyed, the largest structure loss of any active incident in the country.
• 12:05
  Cedric: The Gold Mountain Fire is 92 percent contained at 39,744 acres.
• 12:11
  Cedric: Illinois: The City of Monmouth issued a citywide boil order effective 10 a.m.
• 12:15
  Cedric: Monday after the sole operating well serving its south treatment plant failed.
• 12:20
  Cedric: The order is expected to remain in place through Wednesday.
• 12:24
  Cedric: Heat advisories cover much of the state, including the Chicago metro.
• 12:29
  Cedric: Missouri: Ozark Public Works issued a precautionary boil water advisory Monday for a designated area following water main breaks, with samples sent to the county health department.
• 12:40
  Cedric: Heat advisories run through Friday evening across the Kansas City, Saint Louis, and Springfield forecast areas.
• 12:48
  Cedric: New York: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority restored A, B, C, and D service in Upper Manhattan just after 8 p.m.
• 12:55
  Cedric: Monday following emergency repairs to cracks found under the trackbed near 81st Street.
• 13:01
  Cedric: The agency describes the fix as temporary, with permanent repairs scheduled later.
• 13:06
  Cedric: The Storm Prediction Center places southern New York in today's Slight Risk area for severe thunderstorms.
• 13:14
  Cedric: Pennsylvania and New Jersey: Philadelphia and the surrounding counties in both states are under a Heat Advisory until 8 p.m., and the corridor sits inside today's Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms, with damaging gusts, isolated hail, and a possible tornado.
• 13:30
  Cedric: Nebraska and South Dakota: Both states are in today's Slight Risk area, with supercells capable of two inch hail, damaging gusts, and an isolated tornado expected along a front this afternoon.
• 13:43
  Cedric: Florida: FEMA announced $317 million for Florida recovery Monday, including nearly $167 million in hazard mitigation funding and nearly $150 million in public assistance.
• 13:56
  Cedric: Projects include wind and flood hardening at a Jacksonville hospital and backup power for wastewater systems in Tampa and Lakeland.
• 14:04
  Cedric: Tennessee: FEMA announced more than $106 million for Tennessee recovery across 51 projects, including $69.9 million to the state for debris removal and emergency protective measures and $5.2 million for the Tennessee Valley Electric Cooperative.
• 14:22
  Cedric: Maryland: FEMA will evaluate Maryland's radiological emergency preparedness during a biennial exercise at the Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center the week of September 14.
• 14:33
  Cedric: A public meeting on preliminary findings is set for 2:30 p.m.
• 14:37
  Cedric: Friday, September 18 in Annapolis.
• 14:41
  Cedric: All other states have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
• 14:45
  Cedric: Let’s Talk Territories.
• 14:47
  Cedric: Puerto Rico: A Flood Warning was in effect on the Rio Guayanes at Yabucoa through 8 a.m.
• 14:52
  Cedric: Atlantic time, with the gauge in moderate flood stage at 22.43 feet early this morning.
• 15:00
  Cedric: There are no tropical watches or warnings for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, and the disturbance tied to the remnants of Dolly has dropped off the Hurricane Center's outlook entirely.
• 15:11
  Cedric: FEMA also announced Monday that it has delivered more than $100 million in public assistance and hazard mitigation funding across the territory.
• 15:21
  Cedric: Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands: The Weather Service office in Tiyan issued a special weather statement for a large, disorganized tropical disturbance east northeast of the Marianas.
• 15:33
  Cedric: It is expected to move through or just north of the islands over the next two days with a potential flooding risk.
• 15:40
  Cedric: No formation probability has been assigned.
• 15:43
  Cedric: All other territories and the District of Columbia have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
• 15:50
  Cedric: That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.
• 15:52
  Cedric: New episodes drop Monday through Friday in the 5:00 AM hour P.T., so the day starts with clarity instead of catch-up.
• 15:59
  Cedric: Subscribe on the Emergency Management Network on Substack, or follow on your favorite podcast player.
• 16:06
  Cedric: EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices Podcast.
• 16:09
  Cedric: Stay Safe.