Remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur flood homes and force evacuations in Gulf states

Dangerous conditions gripped parts of the southeastern United States as the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur unleashed drenching rains and powerful winds. The storm battered Louisiana and Mississippi on Thursday, causing widespread flooding, damaging buildings, and prompting urgent water rescues.

In a rural Louisiana parish, over 2 feet of rain fell within 48 hours, with a significant portion of that deluge occurring on Thursday. This catastrophic rainfall inundated at least 200 homes in Avoyelles Parish. Meteorologists described the rainfall as "catastrophic" even by regional standards.

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Even by this region's standards, that's catastrophic rain.

Mississippi faced similar devastation. Residents in Perkinston described escaping their homes just as floodwaters began to rise rapidly. In Stone County, one couple barely managed to flee their home before floodwaters rose to head-high levels. "It's insane how quickly it rose," said resident Nicole Jackson. "People that lived here a lot longer than us are absolutely shocked."

Emergency crews worked to rescue people trapped in a campground in Perkinston, using canoe paddles to break windows of RVs as cars and mobile homes were swept away. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves reported that a county road crew worker was killed while assisting with storm cleanup operations. Additionally, 30 homes near the Anchor Lake dam were evacuated as a precautionary measure due to concerns about the structure's integrity.

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It's insane how quickly it rose. People that lived here a lot longer than us are absolutely shocked.