Edouard was originally forecast to strike the northeast United States, but it produced hurricane-force gusts to portions of southeastern Massachusetts while remaining offshore.

In addition, the hurricane generated strong waves and rip currents to coastlines, killing two people in Ocean City, New Jersey and causing numerous injuries.

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 19, accompanied with spiral bands of convection around an area of low pressure.

A large circulation quickly developed once it reached the Atlantic Ocean, and the system organized into Tropical Depression Four late on August 19 while located 345 mi (555 km) southeast of Cape Verde.

The storm moved to the west in response to a strong subtropical ridge to its north, and Edouard strengthened into a hurricane on August 23.

A weakness in the subtropical ridge allowed for a motion more to the west-northwest, and the hurricane passed about 250 mi (400 km) north of the Lesser Antilles on August 28.

For three days during this time, Edouard maintained Category 4 intensity, though weakened late on August 28 due to an eyewall replacement cycle and vertical shear.

[1] Late on August 29, Hurricane Edouard developed three concentric eyewalls, an unusual occurrence coinciding with an increase in strength to 140 mph (230 km/h).

Edouard continued to weaken as it turned to the northeast, and on September 2 passed about 95 mi (153 km) to the southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts as an 80 mph (130 km/h) hurricane, its closest point of approach to the United States.

Edouard weakened to tropical storm status on September 3, and became extratropical shortly thereafter while located to the south of Nova Scotia.

[1] A high pressure system over New England resulted in the possibility that Edouard would track to the west and strike the United States.

[2] One computer model predicted the hurricane would strike near Atlantic City, New Jersey with winds of over 111 mph (179 km/h) on Labor Day.

Tropical storm warnings existed from North Carolina to Watch Hill, Rhode Island and from the mouth of the Merrimack River to the United States/Canada border, while hurricane warnings existed from Watch Hill, Rhode Island to Merrimack River, Massachusetts.

[8] On Cape Cod, thousands of tourists and summer residents evacuated in preparation for the storm, resulting in an 18-mile (29 km) traffic backup.

[4] In Delaware, rough surf closed numerous coastal beaches, while storm tides and waves flooded a campground near the Indian River in Sussex County.

The hurricane produced wave heights of up to 31 feet (9.4 m), which washed twelve boats ashore and damaged numerous others.