One dead as flooding from Arthur’s remnants damages dams, forces evacuations, Mississippi
One person died as flooding linked to the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur prompted water rescues, evacuations, and road closures across parts of Mississippi and Louisiana on June 18, 2026. A dam in the Swan Lake in northern Harrison County was damaged in Mississippi while up to 610 mm (24 inches) of rain fell in parts of Louisiana.
Washed-out section of Jim Byrd Road in Woolmarket near Biloxi, Mississippi on June 18, 2026. Credit: City of Biloxi
The death occurred as response operations remained active across multiple Mississippi counties.
State emergency-management officials reported ongoing road closures, flood-related disruptions, and water-rescue operations following heavy rainfall associated with Arthur’s remnants.
Life-threatening floods trapped people at a campground in Perkinston, Mississippi, while rescuers used canoe paddles to break through the windows of RVs, and cars and mobile homes were washed away.
A rain gauge in a town near Perkinston showed that as much as 254 mm (10 inches) of rain had fallen by the morning of June 18, CBS reported.
A dam at Swan Lake in northern Harrison County sustained structural damage, the Harrison County Board of Supervisors reported. While no evacuation orders were issued, residents were urged to shelter in place.
Officials also monitored conditions near the Anchor Lake dam in Pearl River County while precautionary evacuations affected approximately 30 homes near East Hobolochitto Creek.
The evacuation order was later lifted, with the Pearl River County Office of Emergency Services reporting that assessments showed high confidence in the dam’s structural integrity.
The flooding washed away a section of the Jim Byrd Road in Woolmarket in the City of Biloxi.
“Heavy rain has caused flooding in many areas of Biloxi today, prompting multiple B-Alert text messages to notify motorists of areas to avoid,” City officials said.
Emergency-management personnel continued coordinating flood-response activities as water levels and infrastructure conditions were assessed in affected areas.
Meanwhile, rainfall totals in some areas were approaching state-record levels, triggering significant flooding, Louisiana State Representative Daryl Deshotel reported.
“Approximately 900 residents in Avoyelles Parish are expected to be without power overnight. Due to the extensive flooding, crews are unable to safely restore service to all affected areas tonight,” Deshotel said on June 18.
“The National Weather Service has indicated that evacuations are being organized for portions of Plaucheville, Moreauville, and Bordelonville, and the Red Cross is working to open a shelter for those affected,” he added.
Arthur was the first tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic basin, and although it was quickly downgraded within a day of forming, the lingering system created dangerous conditions in Louisiana and Mississippi.
“In one rural Louisiana parish, more than 610 mm (24 inches) of rain fell in 48 hours, with most of that soaking coming on June 18, said Donald Jones, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, told CBS.
The current fatality is the second one to be associated with Arthur. A 15-year-old boy lost his life after drowning in floodwaters in Magnolia, Texas, on June 16 due to flooding triggered by heavy rainfall from potential tropical cyclone one, which later strengthened into Tropical Storm Arthur.
References:
1 Remnants from Tropical Storm Arthur drench Gulf states, flooding homes and forcing evacuations – CBS – June 19, 2026
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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