ORLANDO, Fla. – Tropical Storm Arthur has officially formed near the middle Texas coast, becoming the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
As Arthur strengthens, the biggest threat remains the flooding as potentially catastrophic rainfall is expected across portions of the Gulf Coast and Deep South through Friday.
As of the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. advisory, Arthur was located about 40 miles east-northeast of Port O’Connor, Texas, and about 190 miles west-southwest of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The storm was moving northeast at 9 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.
Tropical storm force winds extend up to 175 miles from the center, meaning impacts are already being felt well away from where the storm is expected to move ashore.
Arthur is forecast to track northeast along the Texas coastline Wednesday before moving inland across southwestern Louisiana Wednesday night. The system is expected to weaken quickly after landfall and could dissipate by late tonight or early Thursday.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from High Island, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana.
IMPACTS
Despite its short lifespan, Arthur is expected to bring significant impacts across a large portion of the southeastern United States.
Widespread rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches are expected from the Texas coast eastward into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, western Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle.
Along the coast, storm surge of 2 to 4 feet is possible from Port Bolivar, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana, especially near and east of where Arthur moves inland.
Tropical storm force wind gusts are expected near the coast, and a few tornadoes could develop through Thursday across parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the western Florida Panhandle.
Even though Arthur is expected to weaken quickly after moving inland, the flooding threat will continue well after the storm itself dissipates.