Tropical Storm Arthur formed off the Texas coast on Wednesday as the first tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic basin, threatening a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with potentially dangerous flooding even as it was expected to quickly weaken. Arthur was expected to move inland over Texas, near the Louisiana border, by Wednesday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Who Pays When the Weather Hits
Officials urged millions of people along the Gulf Coast to take the storm seriously amid warnings that it could dump dangerous amounts of rain in some areas. In Louisiana and Mississippi, some communities set up locations for residents to collect sandbags and cleared debris from drainage systems. National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said, “The main threat from Arthur is going to be a prolonged, multiday, heavy rainfall event that could produce dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding.”
Flooding was likely through Friday over parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, the hurricane center said. The storm was expected to produce rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters), with isolated higher totals near 20 inches (50 centimeters). The combination of storm surge and the tide was expected to cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. Swells generated by Arthur were likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip-current conditions along the northwestern Gulf Coast for the next couple of days, forecasters said. Tornadoes were possible through Thursday.
What People Did Before the Water Rose
Collection points for residents to fill sandbags also sprang up around the state. Luke Barwick said, “We both decided we got so much rain yesterday at our house that it was probably a good idea just to pick up a few bags,” after filling sandbags at a collection center in Covington, Louisiana. In Louisiana and Mississippi, some communities cleared debris from drainage systems, a basic task that showed how much ordinary people were left to prepare for on their own while the storm moved in.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said police were preparing boats and setting up barricades in known flood areas. Collection points for residents to fill sandbags also sprang up around the state. The apparatus of order was already moving into place: boats, barricades, and emergency response, all aimed at managing the damage after the fact.
After being inundated with heavy rain earlier this week, parts of central and south Mississippi braced for a second wave of potential flooding. Officials in Picayune, Mississippi, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of New Orleans, declared a state of emergency Tuesday after downpours brought nearly seven inches of rain in six hours. On Wednesday, city officials gave out thousands of sandbags and put emergency responders on standby.
The System’s Emergency Mode
Arthur formed as some areas along the Texas coast had already been drenched by bands of heavy storms that caused flooding and high waters. Near Houston, a 15-year-old drowned Tuesday after entering the water of a retention pond while playing near a construction zone, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. The storm spun off the Texas coast on the same day a World Cup match took place in Houston but did not disrupt the contest, which was played indoors. Heavy storms in the Houston area earlier in the week had canceled outdoor watch parties and fan events.
The storm was expected to lose strength as it moved further over land, but not before leaving a broad trail of disruption across the Gulf Coast. Officials said flooding was likely through Friday, and tornadoes were possible through Thursday, while communities from Texas to the Florida Panhandle were left to brace for the next round of water, wind, and the familiar ritual of scrambling after the warning has already arrived.