MIAMI — The Atlantic hurricane season has officially kicked off with the formation of Tropical Storm Arthur in the Gulf of Mexico, near the middle Texas coast. According to the National Weather Service, Arthur is the first storm to earn a name this season.
Warnings for tropical storms are now in effect for the upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines. Residents in these areas should prepare for storm conditions within the next 12 to 24 hours.
Initially, a low-pressure system with winds around 30 mph was detected at approximately 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday. However, by mid-morning, the winds intensified to over 39 mph, prompting its classification as a tropical storm.
Arthur is projected to trace along the coast today before making its way inland by Wednesday night. As it moves over land in Louisiana, it is expected to weaken. Nevertheless, winds could reach up to 40 mph along the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts this afternoon as the storm progresses inland.
The storm poses a significant rainfall threat, with anticipated totals ranging from 5 to 10 inches. Some areas may experience isolated amounts up to 20 inches through early Friday. This heavy rainfall is expected from the Texas and Louisiana coasts stretching into central Louisiana, and reaching parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida panhandle.
Life-threatening flash flooding is possible, according to the NWS. A flood watch is in effect from Houston to Atlanta.
Over localized areas, storms may dump 2 to 4 inches of rain per hour. This could occur in areas including the region near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and within the southern half of Mississippi, forecasts show.
Storm surge combined with the normal tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. Between 2 to 4 feet of storm surge is possible from Port Bolivar, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana.
Isolated weak tornados are possible in southeast Texas, southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi Wednesday afternoon through night.
By 7 a.m. Thursday, the storm will bring heavy, potentially flooding rain to the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area. The storm will have moved further east by 8 p.m. Thursday, bringing heavy rain from Atlanta to Montgomery to Mobile, Alabama.
On Friday morning, heavy rain will be possible in the Florida panhandle and parts of Carolinas by around 7 a.m.
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