Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall between Galveston and Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The near-hurricane strength storm is expected to weaken as it moves inland, with flooding the primary concern.

The governor of Texas has declared 17 counties disaster areas, while a state of emergency was declared in Louisiana.

About 6,000 residents of two communities in western Louisiana had been asked to evacuate low-lying coastal areas.

The mayor of Galveston has not ordered an evacuation but sent in about 1,200 National Guard troops.

Edouard is the fifth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season.

Tropical Storm Edouard was just short of hurricane strength when it came ashore between High Island and Sabine Pass, weather forecasters said.

A storm is considered to be a hurricane once its winds reach an average speed of at least 74mph (119 km/h), according to the NHC.

It had formed near a major oil and gas producing area of the northern Gulf of Mexico, causing disruption.

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port has stopped offloading tankers and two oil firms evacuated workers from platforms.

Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell said they were removing employees from rigs as a precaution, but both insisted that production had not been affected.

The Houston Ship Channel was also closed.

A storm surge of 2-4ft (0.6-1.2m) was expected in coastal areas between Grand Isle, Louisiana, and Sargent, Texas, the NHC said.

Rainfall of up to 5in (12.7cm) was predicted in Louisiana, and up to 10in (25.4cm) in Texas.

It is the second bout of severe weather to batter the Gulf's coastline in a month.

On 24 July, a state of disaster was declared in 14 Texas counties when Hurricane Dolly lashed the state's coast with winds of 100mph (161km/h).

The Gulf of Mexico supplies about 25% of the US's crude oil.      

 

Edouard is the fifth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season