Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, traced its origins to a tropical wave that combined with the remnants of Tropical Storm Cristina east of the Yucatán Peninsula, tracked into the Gulf of Mexico, and was officially named on June 17 after making landfall near Galveston, Texas. Though Arthur stayed below hurricane strength, it still delivered strong winds to parts of the Gulf Coast, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) around the time of landfall. It did not last long as a named storm due to an ill-defined center and strong wind shear, degenerating into a post-tropical cyclone and opening into a trough early the morning after landfall. But the damage it left behind was catastrophic.
Record Rainfall Shatters Louisiana History Books
Rainfall totals in Louisiana peaked at 29.06 inches (738 mm) in Cottonport, making it the most rainfall recorded in the state during a 24-hour period, surpassing the record set by a tropical depression in 1962. Parts of Louisiana reported more than 20 inches of rainfall according to the NWS. Plaucheville and Moreauville were hit especially hard, with more than 100 homes flooded and some cars seen floating down roads. The National Weather Service said rain was falling on southern Louisiana and Mississippi at a rate of 3 inches (7.6 cm) per hour in some places Thursday morning.
In Mississippi, the destruction was equally severe. Life-threatening floods trapped people in a campground in Perkinston, Mississippi, while rescuers used canoe paddles to break through windows of RVs, and cars and mobile homes were washed away. A rain gauge near Perkinston showed upward of 12 inches of rain on Thursday, with the same amount recorded near Black Creek, about 25 miles north. A rare High Risk — level 4 of 4 — for life-threatening flood potential was placed over southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and western Florida Panhandle along the central Gulf Coast Thursday.
Credit: David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP
Nine Confirmed Tornadoes
The National Weather Service confirmed nine tornadoes touched down over two days across southeast Louisiana and south Mississippi from the severe weather outbreak tied to Tropical Storm Arthur. Four tornadoes touched down around Houma in Terrebonne Parish — three rated EF1 and one EF0. One EF1 caused significant roof loss and collapsed exterior walls on two homes along Crozier Drive. Another EF1 tracked from Afton Street and Richmond Avenue toward Dixie Avenue, tossing a truck about 30 feet, snapping trees, and damaging several roofs. An EF1 tornado also touched down on the east bank of the Mississippi River and tracked northeast toward the University of New Orleans, remaining on the ground for more than seven miles. The strongest tornado of the outbreak started near Treasure Isle and Eden Isle before moving into rural southwest Hancock County, tracking more than 12 miles and growing to nearly 300 yards wide.
Today was one of the most intense storms I've chased this year and honestly one of the scariest in my career. 80+ mph winds feeding into a beastly supercell completely swallowing my vehicle stranding me right in my tracks before I slowly creeped out enough to bust back out ahead… pic.twitter.com/moay6NAzGU
— Aaron Rigsby (@AaronRigsbyOSC) June 21, 2026
Texas Hit Before Landfall
Flash flooding struck across Texas due to Arthur and its precursor, closing dozens of roads in Central Texas. Heavy rainfall affected Brazoria County, accumulating to over 8 inches (200 mm) in parts of Freeport and Clute. Serious flooding killed two people in Texas earlier in the week before Arthur’s moisture fueled catastrophic flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Heavy rainfall triggered flooding in Dallas, Texas, USA 🇺🇸 (19.06.2026) pic.twitter.com/9VggK2WYEp
— Disaster News (@Top_Disaster) June 19, 2026
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry declared a statewide emergency in response to the storm, citing widespread rainfall, severe storms, and flooding concerns across the state. About 200 homes were flooded in Avoyelles Parish in east-central Louisiana, and approximately 60 residents were evacuated from a nursing home in the parish. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued a state of emergency for 101 counties and ordered the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase 24-hour operations; sandbag distributions were organized statewide. A senior center in Wiggins, Mississippi opened as a shelter, while those living near the Jourdan River were urged to evacuate before water levels crested. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency monitored the Anchor Lake Dam near Carriere; about 30 homes were evacuated as a precautionary measure, though the dam was not breached.
AccuWeather estimated $4–6 billion in total damage and economic loss from Arthur, which dumped more than 20 inches of rain in some spots across the Gulf. A 12-car train derailment was reported, and downed trees and power lines forced Amtrak to run bus bridges between New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, as well as between New Orleans and Birmingham. The Washington Post reported the event as marking a 1-in-200-year rain event in Louisiana, with nearly 500 storm reports and at least three deaths directly tied to Arthur’s passage.
