The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur battered parts of the southeastern U.S. on Thursday with heavy rain and wind, damaging buildings, downing trees, knocking out power and prompting flash flood and tornado warnings along the Gulf Coast.
The Midwest was also dealing with damage after a strong line of storms tore through parts of Illinois, Indiana and northern Kentucky on Wednesday, bringing possible tornadoes and leaving scores of homes without electricity.
Arthur, the first tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic basin, is expected to keep weakening as it moves inland over southeastern Texas and western Louisiana, then cross the Southeast on Thursday through Friday. Maximum sustained winds were around 35 mph.
The National Weather Service said rain fell in some places in southern Louisiana and Mississippi at a rate of 3 inches per hour Thursday. TV reports and social media posts showed flooded streets in many areas. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses were without power.
Arthur’s remnants were expected to bring 4 to 8 inches or more of rain to the Gulf states through Friday, the weather service said.
The storm Thursday left a trail of downed trees, flooded roadways and building damage, as well as several tornado sightings, most heavily concentrated in southeastern Louisiana.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno posted a video on Facebook describing her community’s relatively minor damage and the city’s efforts to clean up. Ahead of the storm, police prepared boats and set up barricades in known flood areas, while collection points for residents to fill sandbags sprang up around Louisiana.
The National Weather Service extended the flash flood warning in some parts of New Orleans. Residents in Picayune were advised not to travel in the area, as the flash flooding is “life-threatening.”
Thousands of sandbags have been placed in southern Mississippi to hold floodwater, according to a spokesperson at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
More than 200 storms were recorded Wednesday, along with reported tornadoes across Wisconsin, Illinois and Alabama.
Michael Yager, a father and business owner who kept vintage cars in Effingham County, Illinois, found a tornado had destroyed his business.
“I didn’t have a reaction, I guess. I was kind of speechless, and for lack of words,” Yager said.
The risk of tornadoes continues for 63 million people from the Tennessee River Valley to New England; major cities to watch include Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Damage from strong winds and a possible tornado was also reported in Florence, Kentucky, near Cincinnati, with local news video and photos showing roofs and siding ripped off buildings, as well as downed trees and power lines.
The weather service said it received numerous reports of wind damage across a wide swath, from Iowa and Missouri to Ohio and West Virginia.
The strong storms were expected to move through the central Appalachians to New England, the weather service said.
