CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Tropical Storm Arthur has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, prompting Tropical Storm Warnings along the northwestern Gulf Coast from Sargent, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana.
As of Wednesday morning, Arthur was producing maximum sustained winds of 45 mph with a large area of thunderstorms and heavy rain. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 12 hours.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes the first named storm of the year typically develops around June 20. Arthur strengthened from a tropical disturbance that had been tracked earlier in the week as it moved over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It's current Northeast trajectory puts Arthur following the Texas coastline.
Flooding is the primary threat
While Arthur is a relatively modest tropical storm, meteorologists say heavy rainfall poses the most significant threat. The storm is expected to drop 5 to 10 inches of rain across mid-to-upper coastal Texas, Louisiana, central and southern Mississippi, Alabama, and the far western Florida Panhandle. Isolated areas could see up to 20 inches.
The National Hurricane Center has warned of "periods of intense rainfall over the next several days, which could produce widespread, life-threatening flash, urban, and river flooding."
