LAKE CHARLES, LA – The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for portions of the Louisiana coast as Potential Tropical Cyclone One threatens to bring life-threatening flooding and severe weather to the Gulf Coast.
The system, which is expected to become Tropical Storm Arthur by Wednesday morning, has already claimed two lives in Texas due to severe floodwaters.
Track and Storm Surge Potential
As of late Tuesday, the system was centered near Corpus Christi, Texas. It is forecast to move into the northwest Gulf before pushing inland over extreme east Texas or southwest Louisiana by late Wednesday or early Thursday.
A tropical storm warning is currently active from Sabine Pass to Morgan City, Louisiana. While winds could exceed 40 mph, officials warn that the primary danger is a coastal storm surge of 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels, which will flood normally dry coastal areas.
Massive Rainfall and Flash Flood Watches
Flood watches now cover more than 26 million people from South Texas to Mississippi. A Level 3 out of 4 threat of flash flooding has been issued through Thursday, with rainfall rates potentially reaching 3 to 4 inches per hour.
Meteorologists warn that an additional 5 to 10 inches of rain could fall across southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the western Florida Panhandle, with isolated areas seeing up to 20 inches.
Fatalities and Widespread Destructive Flooding
The system’s moisture has already caused severe damage across the region:
- Texas: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 101 counties. In Bandera County, a woman died after her vehicle was swept into a flooded creek. In Montgomery County, a 15-year-old boy tragically drowned in a flooded retention pond.
- Louisiana: In Shreveport, emergency crews responded to over 50 water rescue calls in a six-hour period on Monday as floodwaters stranded drivers and entered commercial buildings.
- Mississippi: In Picayune, an estimated 8 to 9 inches of rain fell in just six hours, forcing fire crews to rescue a family, including an infant, from knee-deep water inside their home.
Timing the Threat
- Wednesday: The most dangerous flooding is expected along the upper Texas coast and southwest Louisiana, where the ground is already heavily saturated.
- Thursday: The heaviest rainfall threat shifts east, targeting central Louisiana across southern and central parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and into western Georgia.
Residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas are urged to monitor local alerts, avoid driving through flooded roadways, and prepare for potential evacuations.
