Tropical Storm Arthur unleashed catastrophic flooding across the South, dumping extraordinary amounts of rain that swallowed roadways and left stranded residents pleading for help.
Heavy downpours affected up to 40 million people in eight states, stretching from Texas to the Carolinas.
Roughly 500 storm incidents were reported across the region, including tornadoes and severe flooding described as generational.
Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi each saw between one and two feet of rainfall, leaving hundreds of homes damaged and many roads impassable.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data cited by The Washington Post, the sheer volume of rain amounted to a once-in-200-years event.
In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves said Thursday on X that a Franklin County road crew worker was killed while assisting with storm cleanup.
Earlier this week, two people died in Texas because of serious flooding.
Going into the weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that Tropical Storm Arthur’s remnants are still considered life threatening.
Louisiana was one of the states hardest hit by Tropical Storm Arthur (Photo of New Orleans flooded)
The storm affected states in the South as deep as Texas. In this photo, a man is rescued after being caught in a flash flood on Friday in Dallas
At least three people have been reported dead so far. Two of the deaths happened in Texas, while one was in Mississippi
In Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the huge rainfall.
The NWS reported three tornadoes in southeast Louisiana that morning, according to NOLA.com.
The first two tornadoes lasted about one minute each, while the third and final one went on for about 16 minutes.
Louisiana’s Avoyelles Parish received 29 and 22.5 inches of rain at separate points this week, CBS News reported. Nearby Simmesport got more than 17 inches of rain.
At least 200 homes were flooded by the massive deluge, which caught some residents by surprise.
‘We’ve never had anything like this here in our lives,’ Patrick Wright, Simmesport’s at–large alderman, told The Advocate. ‘We don’t know what we’re gonna do.’
Alvin Dauzat, a 69–year–old alderman who has lived in the area his entire life, said the storm was ‘dramatic’ and the ‘worst I’ve ever seen.’
‘We’re just not equipped for that much water in that short of time,’ he told the outlet.
Scenes from the community were dramatic, as a National Guard truck carried out bedridden patients from the Avoyelles Manor nursing home.
Others were seen walking through waist–high water caused by the tropical storm, which comes as sweltering temperatures in the 90s hit Louisiana.
Authorities have urged locals to avoid traveling along rivers and streams, especially at night
Galveston saw flooded streets (pictured) and winds up to 48 miles per hour because of the storm
The storm destroyed property and roads as it wreaked havoc across the Southern US
Tropical Storm Arthur’s strong winds and heavy rainfall also reached Texas, where at least two people have been reported dead.
One of the two was a 15–year–old boy who was playing near a construction roadway and a flood retention pond, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
The other was Joelle Taylor, 53, who died after her vehicle was swept into fast–moving waters, KENS5 reported.
Taylor called 911 and said she was floating downstream while unable to get out of her SUV, according to the outlet.
Winds were recorded at up to 48 mph in Galveston, about 50 miles southeast of Houston, according to NASA.
In Mississippi, where one person has died, about 2,600 power outages were reported, Gov. Reeves said on Facebook.
As much as 3 inches of rainfall is possible on Friday, with potentially dangerous winds expected in the early afternoon and evening.
Tropical Storm Arthur was the earliest a named storm hit the US mainland since Tropical Storm Cristobal hit Louisiana in June 2020
The National Weather Service said that life–threatening flash floods were expected in the corridor between southeast Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle through Friday
Widespread river flooding is expected to continue as the remnants of the storm sweep through
Tropical Storm Arthur’s June 17 landfall was the earliest a named storm hit the US mainland since Tropical Storm Cristobal struck Louisiana on June 7, 2020.
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 be particularly extreme between Texas and the Carolinas all summer.
On Thursday evening, the NWS warned on X that life–threatening flash floods were expected in the corridor between southeast Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle through the end of Friday.
Flash and urban flooding is expected in Louisiana and into central and southern Alabama.
The region will also be dealing with widespread river flooding because of the storm’s remnants.
Locals were urged to avoid traveling along rivers and streams, and to be particularly careful at night.
‘If flooding is encountered while driving: turn around, don’t drown,’ the NWS said.
