Key facts
- Tropical Storm Arthur formed near the Texas coast with 40 mph winds.
- Life-threatening flooding is expected across the Southeastern U.S., with rainfall totals of 5-10 inches and isolated higher amounts.
- A tropical storm warning is in effect from High Island, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana.
- The storm's path threatens significant oil refining capacity and offshore production facilities in the Gulf Coast region.
- An estimated 10,000 barrels of oil could be lost due to shut-ins at offshore platforms.
Tropical Storm Arthur formed near the Texas coast on Wednesday morning, with the U.S. National Hurricane Center forecasting life-threatening flooding across portions of the Southeastern U.S. The storm, the first named system of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, was located about 40 miles east-northeast of Port O'Connor, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from High Island, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana, an area that includes major refineries and liquefied natural gas processing facilities. Tony Dupont, COO at Earth Science Associates, stated that a model based on past storms forecasts around 10,000 barrels of oil could be lost due to shut-ins at offshore platforms in the storm's path.
The Gulf Coast refining region, which holds about half of the total U.S. refining capacity of 18.4 million barrels per day, includes facilities such as Saudi Aramco-owned Motiva Enterprises' Port Arthur plant and Exxon Mobil's facility in Beaumont, Texas. LNG giants Cheniere and Venture Global also have major liquefaction facilities along the coast.
Arthur is expected to produce rainfall totals of five to 10 inches, with isolated higher totals near 20 inches expected through early Friday from the Mid and Upper Texas coast into southern and central portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, along with western portions of Georgia and the Florida Panhandle. AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva noted that very heavy rainfall is expected to fall across southeast Louisiana into southern Mississippi, where significant and even life-threatening flooding can occur.