Tropical Storm Arthur was downgraded to a low-pressure area as it made landfall along the upper Texas coast on Thursday, losing significant wind intensity in the process.
Despite the downgrade, meteorologists warn that the system still poses a severe threat, with potential for life-threatening floods, structural damage, and significant disruptions to travel and commerce.
Forecasters anticipate that the storm’s remnants will deliver between 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) of rainfall across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle through Friday.
Parts of Louisiana and Mississippi experienced torrential rain on Thursday, with rates reaching 3 inches (8 cm) per hour. These conditions triggered flash flood warnings, tornado alerts, and widespread power outages in a region already saturated by previous rains earlier in the week.
As the first tropical storm of the Atlantic season, Arthur is projected to continue weakening as it traverses southeastern Texas and western Louisiana before moving across the southeastern United States.
While maximum sustained winds have dropped to approximately 35 mph (55 km/h) and all coastal watches and warnings were lifted Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center warns that flooding remains a primary concern through Friday across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle.
Meanwhile, severe weather has hit the Midwest, where over 130,000 customers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia were without electricity on Thursday afternoon, according to data from poweroutage.us.
A tornado touched down Wednesday evening near Effingham, Illinois, roughly 90 miles southeast of Springfield, resulting in several minor injuries.
Effingham Fire Chief Brant Yochum reported that emergency crews responded to various incidents, including collapsed structures, damaged homes, vehicle accidents, gas leaks, and downed power lines blocking roadways.
Similar wind damage and a potential tornado were reported in Florence, Kentucky, near Cincinnati. Visual reports showed trees uprooted and roofs and siding torn from buildings.
The National Weather Service received numerous reports of wind-related damage across a broad region stretching from Iowa and Missouri to Ohio and West Virginia, with storms expected to move toward the central Appalachians and New England on Thursday.
In preparation for the system, several communities in Louisiana and Mississippi distributed sandbags and cleared drainage systems to mitigate flooding.
“The main threat from Arthur is going to be a prolonged, multiday, heavy rainfall event that could produce dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding,” stated Michael Brennan, Director of the National Hurricane Center.
