Formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, August 3, 2008, Tropical Storm Edouard is gaining strength and may become a hurricane by the time it makes landfall.Yahoo! News: Tropical Storm Edouard heads for Texas-La. coast (August 3, 2008) The storm is forecast to hit Galveston Island, Texas, on August 5—at the height of the resort town's tourist season.Yahoo! News: Tropical Storm Edouard heads for Texas-La. coast (August 3, 2008) The storm may trigger tornadoes in Texas and Louisiana.CNN.com: Edouard could soon bring twisters to Louisiana, Texas (August 4, 2008)

Tropical storms are born in warm weather, when ocean waters evaporate, causing thunderstorms. A low pressure zone forms—where air pressure is lower than the surrounding atmosphere—causing winds to whip around in a widening circular pattern.Sci Jinks: How Does a Hurricane Form? When winds increase in speed to 74 mph and above, the tropical storm has officially become a hurricane, or tropical cyclone.National Weather Service: Tropical Cyclone Structure

The vacuum created in the storm's center is called the "eye" of the storm. Those who have entered the eye, by plane or boat, often report an eerie calm, with clear views of the stars and birds flying overhead.National Weather Service: Tropical Cyclone Structure