The trajectory of Tropical Storm Arthur poses a significant threat to approximately 40 million residents spread across eight states. The storm, which has been named the first of this hurricane season, made its initial impact on Wednesday night.

After making landfall on the Texas Coast, Arthur has been reclassified as a post-tropical cyclone. As it progresses, the storm is expected to unleash torrential rains and severe flooding from Louisiana to the Carolinas.

Experts at AccuWeather have issued warnings of “extreme” flooding risks for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle throughout Thursday. These regions could experience rainfalls reaching up to 12 inches, which may exacerbate flooding in both coastal and urban areas.

By Friday, the storm’s effects are predicted to extend to Georgia and the Carolinas. Forecasters caution that Arthur will likely continue to cause life-threatening floods, substantial property damage, and significant disruptions to both commerce and travel.

Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s Hurricane Expert, highlighted the risk in a statement, noting that rainfall could range from 2 to 4 inches per hour. Such intense rainfall might lead to swift flooding, potentially resulting in road closures, particularly within urban locales.

However, flooding is not the only concern tied to Arthur, as the National Weather Service has also issued a widespread tornado watch across coastal areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

In Mississippi specifically, weather officials upgraded that alert to an official tornado warning in Perry, Greene, Stone, Harrison, Hancock and Pearl River Counties – warning that twisters could touch down at any moment.

NWS said in a statement: ‘TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.’

Tropical Storm Arthur made landfall on Wednesday, June 17 in Texas and has moved over the Gulf states on Thursday

Flooding in Texas and Louisiana has already been reported

Tropical Storm Arthur’s June 17 landfall is the earliest a named storm has hit the US mainland since Tropical Storm Cristobal struck Louisiana on June 7, 2020.

It has been 40 years since a hurricane made a June landfall in the US, when Bonnie landed in Texas in 1986.

Only one tropical storm made a direct hit on the US last year, when Tropical Storm Chantal struck South Carolina on July 6, 2025.

Although the weather phenomenon known as El Niño is expected to make this Atlantic hurricane season weaker than normal, forecasters have warned that conditions could particularly extreme between Texas and the Carolinas all summer.

While El Niño flips global weather patterns, making it warmer in the Pacific and cooler in the Atlantic, it also pushes the natural jet stream flowing over the US farther south, creating a continuous stream of turbulent air over the southern half of the country.

AccuWeather’s Paul Pastelok told the Daily Mail that the 800-mile-long corridor between Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia is likely to see continuous extreme weather events, even if they do not become tropical storms and hurricanes.

‘As far as heavy rainfall and tornadoes, Houston to Atlanta, Orlando and parts of the Mid-Atlantic, pick a city… those are more concerning, especially as you get into later this year,’ Pastelok warned.

Arthur’s path on Thursday and Friday will follow that exact route, according to the latest tracking models, likely exiting in the Atlantic after surging through North Carolina on Saturday.

Spaghetti models show the remnants of Arthur moving east from Thursday into Friday

The impact of Arthur is projected to be ‘extreme’ in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties due to the severe storms, heavy rainfall and flooding cause by Arthur this week.

Meanwhile, severe heat advisories have been issued by NWS in several areas surrounding Arthur, including in Florida, North Carolina and throughout Southern and Central Texas.

Intense humidity moving with the Gulf storm is making temperatures feel 10 to 15°F hotter than it actually is for millions throughout the Southeast.

The heat index, which is the ‘feels like’ temperature on days when the air is more humid, is expected to reach 110°F throughout Southern Florida on Thursday, including on Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

Conditions are expected to be even worse in South Texas, where the heat index will rise to 120°F in Corpus Christi, Laredo and San Antonio. 

NWS said: ‘Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.’

A 21-year-old man has been formally charged with committing a hate crime, arson, and other related offenses following the burning of a cross in a Chicago park, according to police reports.

Merlin Lu confessed to a local television station earlier this week that he was behind the cross burning incident that took place on June 9 in Grant Park. However, he claimed his actions were intended as a protest against President Donald Trump, and not as a symbol of racial hate or intimidation towards the Black community.

The police, in a statement released Wednesday night, confirmed that Lu faces multiple charges, including four felonies and four misdemeanors. Among these are charges for a hate crime and for using a cross to intimidate.

“I understand why my actions were perceived in that manner, and I apologize, but that was not my intent,” Lu stated in an interview with WMAQ-TV prior to his arrest.

As of Thursday, it was unclear whether Lu had legal representation to speak on his behalf. He was set to appear in court for a detention hearing.

“I did know about this historical relevance beforehand. But I didn’t know the severity, how racially motivated it may seem from what I did,” Lu told the TV station. “Cause my protest has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with gender.”

Lu said he was protesting the “ruling class” and Christian nationalists who support Trump.

Someone put a large, multicolored, glass fiber heart with the word, “resilient,” in the place where the burning cross stood in the park.

Lu’s LinkedIn page says he has attended college in Indiana and Chicago and was studying chemistry.

As Post-Tropical Storm Arthur transitions, it brings with it the potential for severe and life-threatening floods across the southern United States. Communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are bracing for the impact as relentless rains continue to pour.

The lingering effects of Tropical Storm Arthur are making their presence felt, putting millions at risk of flash floods from Eastern Texas stretching all the way to Georgia.

Authorities have issued a Level 4 out of 4 flash flood warning for Thursday, with the threat scaling down slightly to Level 3 out of 4 by Friday. These warnings highlight the severe rainfall and possible catastrophic flooding expected in the Southeast U.S.

Areas identified as highly vulnerable to flooding include Baton Rouge in Louisiana, Jackson in Mississippi, Montgomery in Alabama, and Atlanta in Georgia.

The FOX Forecast Center notes, “A convergence of moisture from the Pacific and the Gulf is creating a persistent plume over the South, significantly increasing the flood risk across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The most intense rainfall is expected to remain on the storm’s eastern flank as it progresses northward.”

As a result, flood watches are in effect across most of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.

The flooding has already claimed the life of a 15-year-old in Texas, who drowned in a flooded pond. 

A massive multi-unit search was coordinated, with boats and specialized diving teams deployed. 

Following an extensive search and the use of sonar technology, the teenager was located submerged in the water and pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Overall, widespread rainfall could total 5 to 8 inches across Southern Texas to Alabama, with 8 to 12 inches possible in portions of Louisiana, which could result in deadly flash flooding.

Outside of the flash flood risk, there is a lingering Level 2 out of 5 severe storm threat across coastal Mississippi and into Southern Alabama, where tornadoes are possible.

As the remnants of Arthur move toward the Carolinas, rounds of persistent rain will kick off on Thursday and last well into Friday, but there is uncertainty about when exactly the heaviest rain will fall.

As this mid-level spin moves offshore, it will hover over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.

At this point on Friday, a new area of low pressure could form, bringing gusty winds and heavy rain to coastal regions along the East Coast.

This is unlikely to be a tropical threat, but it is worth monitoring amid potential development in the coming days.

According to recent reports, King Charles is eager to mend fences with Prince Harry and is willing to make time for him, along with Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet, should they decide to visit the UK next month.

If the family plans to travel together in mid-July, the King is expected to prefer a private meeting, likely at a royal residence.

However, insiders suggest that Queen Camilla might choose to excuse herself from such a gathering, and it is believed that the Prince and Princess of Wales are unlikely to join the meeting with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Royal aides are reportedly cautious about the possibility of Harry and Meghan utilizing their visit as a platform, especially amid claims that a Netflix film crew might accompany them to the UK.

Royal commentator and author Phil Dampier noted that some skeptics argue Harry and Meghan could be seeking a boost of royal allure, considering their waning influence in the United States.

It will be the first time in four years that the Duke of Sussex and his family have visited the UK, in time for the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games for injured servicemen in Birmingham.

But not everyone in Harry’s family will be as keen to see them as King Charles, particularly his wife and eldest son.

Phil Dampier said: ‘The King wants a reconciliation with his son and wants to see his grandchildren. I think he will want to avoid a public meeting on this trip as it would turn into a circus, but would meet them privately.

‘But whether Queen Camilla is keen to meet is another matter. It wouldn’t surprise me if she has some family commitment to go to and avoids them. She will feel she was badly treated in Harry’s book Spare.’

He added: ‘There is now no way, however, that Harry will meet up with William and Catherine.’

King Charles will want to see Harry and his children – but Queen Camilla will be less keen, experts have said 

The Prince and Princess of Wales are not expected to see the Sussexes (pictured together after the Queen’s death in 2022)

‘He [Harry] has been making it clear in recent months that he wants a reconciliation with his family, but how genuine that is only he knows.

‘Harry’s aim is to get him along to the Invictus Games as guest of honour next year.’

Mr Dampier also believes that the fact all four Sussexes are coming to the UK suggests that Harry has had ‘assurances’ they will get taxpayer-funded armed bodyguards.

‘No one knows what security arrangements have been made for Harry and Meghan’s trip next month, but the fact she is coming with their children indicates they have been given some assurances,’ he said.

‘It may be that security is provided on a case-by-case basis in future.

‘I don’t think taxpayers would want to finance their security full time, so this is a compromise.’

Royal commentator Richard Palmer says the Palace remains worried about Meghan and Harry’s motives for wanting contact with the Royal Family again.

Aides are concerned about whether to trust them, given all the secrets they have spilled since Megxit.

He said: ‘There remains a fair degree of suspicion within the Royal Household, and there is the fear that they will use any meetings with the monarch to try to boost their commercial brand. But against that, the King wants to have a relationship with his grandchildren.

‘If Archie and Lilibet are coming over, then I think it makes it highly likely that the Sussexes will spend time with the King. There’s a good chance that this could be the start of the family coming to terms with the rift and starting to try to rebuild relationships.

‘It may never be the same, but families can learn to move on and reach some sort of accommodation after these types of rifts. Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales may be more cautious about meeting. It may take more for them to be won over, but this could be the start of something.’

Prince Harry and Meghan with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in a photo released by the duchess for the couple’s Christmas greeting in December 2025

Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, have not seen their grandfather King Charles III since their last trip to Britain in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Duchess of Sussex has not made a long trip to the UK since the late Queen’s funeral that September, only stopping over in London on foreign tours.

She and Harry were booed on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral last time they were seen by the public almost four years ago.

Harry is said to be satisfied with security arrangements for the visit in mid-July and is now planning for Archie and Lilibet to make the trip from California.

One of his business associates in Los Angeles said there had been a ‘warming of the frost’ between Harry and Charles, telling the Telegraph: ‘Harry says he’s coming back before the end of the year with the children with the express intent to reunite with his dad.

‘He has wanted his kids to meet their grandfather, especially after their summit in London last year.

‘While there have been deep-seated trust issues, there is a sense now that all parties want peace.’

Harry, who stepped down as a working royal in 2020, levelled a barrage of accusations at the Royal Family in his Oprah Winfrey interview, Netflix documentary and tell-all memoir Spare.

But in a step towards repairing their troubled relationship, Harry joined Charles for a private tea when he visited the UK in September last year, spending 54 minutes with his father at Clarence House.

It is not known whether Harry or his family will see Charles on the visit, though the prince will meet people from patronages such as WellChild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers.

A source close to Harry told News.com.au: ‘It’s been a point of great sadness that he’s been unable to bring his wife and kids back to the UK safely to reconnect with friends and family, but anyone would understand his desire to put their safety first.

‘He would love to introduce the children to his wider family, to show them the UK, where he grew up – his homeland. That would be a natural thing for any parent.’

The Daily Mail understands Harry and his family would not automatically receive enhanced security protection for a private family visit.

A spokesman for the Sussexes declined to comment.

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Rex Heuermann, who has confessed to the Gilgo Beach murders, will spend his remaining years behind bars. Disturbingly, prosecutors revealed that he maintained a chilling “Dexter”-like murder chamber in his basement.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, who played a key role in Heuermann’s prosecution, remarked on the eerie resemblance. “It was reminiscent of that show, and upon discovery, those were the comments shared,” Tierney explained. They managed to reconstruct the scene in its original basement setting.

Intriguingly, Heuermann’s former spouse now occupies this very room, a revelation she made in the docuseries, “The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets.”

Judge Timothy Mazzei handed Heuermann the severest sentence available on Wednesday, imposing three consecutive life terms without parole, plus an additional four consecutive sentences of 25 years to life.

Rex Heuermann, the notorious Gilgo Beach killer, stood in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, N.Y., for his sentencing on June 16, 2026. (James Carbone/Newsday)