GALVESTON, Texas -- Tropical Storm Edouard's eye made landfall in southwestern Louisiana early Tuesday morning in Cameron Parish, but some of the worst of its weather was pounding the upper Texas Coast early. After making an easterly jog overnight, it appeared Galveston and Houston would escape the storm's wrath.

For the last 24 hours, it appeared that the storm was setting its sites on Galveston Island. But late Monday the storm shifted and headed towards the east.

Already portions of a strong band from the storm was pouring rain and pushing heavy winds on Beaumont and parts of the Golden Triangle. Winds were gusting as high as 50 mph inland in Beaumont.

At Sabine Pass, stronger gusts reached 67 mph.

In Jefferson County, several roads and main bridges were closed because of the storm. One of the bridges included the Rainbow Bridge.

Tropical Storm Edouard gained strength and continued to move east of Galveston.

The storm was moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph and forecasters said conditions were in place for the storm to intensify and approach hurricane strength with winds of 74 mph or more.

But despite earlier concerns the storm would pour cold water on Galveston’s vacation season, some tourists seemed willing to stay and ride out the storm.

Beth Bronson said Monday she’s determined not to have her trip ruined.

“We spend money to come here with our families. It’s an inexpensive place to stay,” said Bronson, 49, who was vacationing from Allen. “If they were to say evacuate, then yeah we would do it. But otherwise no.”

Tropical Storm Edouard was expected to come ashore midday Tuesday. The coastal communities of Chambers County appeared to be the most likley landfall point.

Officials in both Texas and Louisiana on Monday prepared for Edouard’s arrival.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration for 17 Texas counties that could be in Edouard’s path. The state activated a number of emergency teams, including calling up 1,200 Texas National Guard troops and six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a statewide emergency.  Cameron Parish told up to 3,000 residents to evacuate low-lying coastal areas prone to flooding. Vermilion Parish, also in western Louisiana, advised people in mobile homes or FEMA trailers along the coast to leave.

About 50 miles northwest, Houston officials asked residents to safely store large, heavy items outside their homes to prevent flying debris.

Galveston officials were hoping Edouard wouldn’t derail its successful tourist season. They said many visitors were staying and riding out Edouard.

Hotel occupancy rates and sales tax figures this summer are 10 to 15 percent higher than last year, the city’s best for tourist-related income.

Edouard was not forecast to bring the 100-mph winds to Galveston that punished another tourist hotspot in Texas, South Padre Island, when Hurricane Dolly tore off roofs and knocked down signs last month.

Since Dolly, South Padre has regained electric power but its four biggest full-service hotels remain closed as well as the convention center in the community about 260 miles down the coast from Galveston.

The Texas coast counts on tourism this time of year. About 50 million visitors to the Texas coast spent about $15 billion in 2006.

“This is not the time of year for anyone along the Texas coast to be interrupted by these storms,” said Dan Quandt, executive director of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Edouard is not going to have that large of an affect on tourism because it’s not expected to cause (severe) damage,” said Roshelle Gaskins, spokeswoman for the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau. She added a lot of tourists were staying.

Connie Porter, owner of Avenue O Bed and Breakfast in Galveston, said she planned to watch the progression of the storm on Monday, but she wasn’t worried about it. She said a storm like the one being described might mean some debris and that people should take care of patio furniture, but she didn’t anticipate much more.

“It’s not going to be a huge issue for anybody in this area,” Porter said.

As Edouard approached, oil and gas companies in the Gulf of Mexico evacuated workers from 23 production platforms and six rigs, according to the U.S. Minerals Management Service, which monitors offshore activity. The Gulf of Mexico has 717 manned platforms and 125 operating rigs, the MMS said.

Edouard is not likely to disrupt production, according to one financial firm that specializes in the energy industry. “He’ll just be (a) little tropical storm tike compared to big mammas that rip things up and spike gas prices,” the Houston-based securities firm Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. said in a note to investors Monday.

Shell Oil Co. said Monday morning it had begun evacuating about 40 workers from some of its operations in the western Gulf. The company said no further evacuations were planned based on the current forecast and that it expected no impact on production.

Exxon Mobil Corp. said Monday afternoon it was preparing for heavy weather associated with Edouard, preparing platforms and other structures for heavy wind and rain and identifying workers for potential evacuation. But the company said no evacuations had taken place and production had not been affected.

NOAA

Tropical Storm Edouard had sustained winds of 60 mph and made an easterly move late Monday.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River westward to Port O’Connor in Texas. A hurricane watch was in effect from west of Intracoastal City, La. to Port O’Connor.

Rudy Guidry of Grand Isle, on the Louisiana coast south of New Orleans, was on his father’s houseboat Monday making it a bit more secure than usual. “We’re on the water right now. Just putting on extra lines in case it comes up,” he said.

Texas began activating a number of emergency teams Sunday afternoon, including calling up 1,200 Texas military forces and six UH-60 helicopters, the State Operations Center said. The Texas Forest Service and the Texas Engineering and Extension Service activated response teams.

The busiest part of the Atlantic hurricane season is usually in August and September. So far this year, there have been five named storms, two of which became hurricanes. Federal forecasters predict a total of 12 to 16 named storms and six to nine hurricanes this season.