Edouard Strengthens, Targets Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Edouard gained speed as it moved west today, and is expected to strengthen to near-hurricane status before making landfall somewhere in Texas or southwest Louisiana tomorrow morning, reports the AP. Emergency teams were activated as residents along the Gulf of Mexico prepared to get hit with another strong storm for the second time in less than a month.

Southeastern Texans prepared for Edouard's impact while people farther down the Texas coast continued cleaning up the damage from Hurricane Dolly, which hit last month. A hurricane watch is in effect for parts of Texas and Louisiana, and meteorologists have also warned of isolated tornadoes. Many of the Gulf's offshore oil and natural gas drilling platforms sit in the storm's path; both Shell and Exxon said they were tracking the storm. (More hurricane stories.)