Remnants from Tropical Storm Arthur drench Gulf states, flooding homes and forcing evacuations The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur unleashed torrential rains and powerful winds across the southeastern United States on Thursday, causing widespread flooding, evacuations, and water rescues along the Gulf Coast. As the first tropical storm of the 2026 Atlantic season, Arthur quickly weakened after forming but left behind a dangerous system that triggered catastrophic flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi. In rural Louisiana, over 2 feet of rain fell within 48 hours, with the majority occurring on Thursday, according to Donald Jones, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles. The deluge overwhelmed infrastructure, submerged homes, and forced emergency responses in multiple communities. In Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, at least 200 homes were flooded, with state Rep. Daryl Deshotel describing the situation as "catastrophic" for the region. The National Weather Service warned that the rainfall exceeded historical norms, with some areas receiving more than 10 inches of rain in a single day. In Perkinston, Mississippi, life-threatening floods trapped residents in a campground, prompting rescuers to use canoes to break through windows of recreational vehicles. Cars and mobile homes were swept away, and some residents told CBS News they barely escaped as water levels rose rapidly. Nicole Jackson and her fiancé, Hayden, described the chaos: "It's insane how quickly it rose. People that lived here a lot longer than us are absolutely shocked." Evacuations were ordered in southern Mississippi as rising waters threatened the stability of the Anchor Lake dam.#national_weather_service #national_guard #tropical_storm_artur #avoyelles_parish #anchor_lake_dam
Federal Aviation Administration Investigates Near Miss Between United Airlines Plane and Black Hawk Helicopter in California The Federal Aviation Administration is examining a close call involving a United Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening when United Airlines Flight 589, en route from San Francisco, encountered a collision avoidance alarm while preparing to land. The warning was triggered by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter operating under the callsign Knife 25. According to FlightRadar24, the closest point between the aircraft was 525 feet vertically and 1,422 feet laterally. United Airlines stated that air traffic control had advised the pilots of the Boeing 737 to monitor for a military helicopter near the airport during the final approach. After the alarm activated, the pilots halted their descent and leveled off until the helicopter passed, allowing them to land safely. An air traffic controller’s audio recording, shared by LiveATC.net, included a statement: “We’re gonna be addressing that, because that was not good.” The National Guard confirmed the helicopter was on a routine training mission, returning to its base at Los Alamitos Airfield. The agency noted the aircraft followed an established Visual Flight Rules (VFR) route at an assigned altitude while communicating with air traffic control. A thorough review is underway in coordination with relevant agencies. This incident follows a similar tragedy in January 2025, when a Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in 67 fatalities—the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in nearly two decades.#federal_aviation_administration #united_airlines #black_hawk_helicopter #john_wayne_airport #national_guard
