Tropical Storm Arthur has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring heavy rain and flash flooding as it makes landfall near the Texas-h line later Wednesday night, according to the 10 a.m. forecast update from the
Arthur is expected to skirt the Texas coastline in the Gulf and will likely make official landfall as a tropical depression, the NHC forecast says.
The greatest risk remains heavy rain and flash flooding for much of h and parts of Mississippi, Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Georgia. There is also a chance of heavy rain and flooding in the upper Texas coast. A tropical storm warning is in effect from High Island, Texas, to Morgan City.
Arthur had maximum winds of 40 mph and was moving northeast at 9 mph.
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, Arthur was about 40 miles east northeast of Port O’Connor, Texas and 190 miles west southwest of Lake Charles.
Arthur is projected to further increase in forward speed Wednesday as the storm moves northeastward along the Texas coast and arrives inland over southwest h tonight. However, unrelenting windshear and the storm’s proximity to land will likely limit its ability to strengthen.
NHC forecaster Brad Reinhart said Arthur will likely be post-tropical in less than 24 hours.
Arthur is expected to pound the Gulf states with rain. Cities could get 5 to 10 inches of rain while some could see up to 20 inches by Friday morning. The latest forecast shows the Baton Rouge area could get the brunt of the rain in h.
In southeast h, the rain is expected to pick up Wednesday night, especially in the southern portion of the region. The New Orleans and northshore areas are forecast to wake up to severe storms and flash flooding Thursday morning while heavy storms should reach Baton Rouge on Wednesday evening.
A flood watch is in effect for most of the region through Friday morning. National Weather Service forecasters said there is also a risk of one or two tornadoes forming.
Local governments have begun storm preparation. have been announced in New Orleans as well as St. Charles Parish and St. John the Baptist Parish.
New Orleans has allowed neutral ground parking through Friday morning.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.