Risk for flash flooding, storms with tropical moisture on the way 

ATLANTA — Severe Weather Team 2 is tracking a tropical system in the Gulf with moisture that will bring heavy rain, some storms and the risk for flash flooding to our area on Thursday and Friday.

The National Hurricane Center issued its first tropical advisory for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season for Potential Tropical Cyclone 1. It may become Tropical Storm Arthur before landfall along Louisiana and Texas coasts on Wednesday.

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Whether it becomes a tropical storm or not, the tropical moisture will lift across the Southeast and bring heavy rain to Georgia.

Stay with Severe Weather Team 2 as we monitor the latest and have hour-by-hour forecast on Channel 2 Action News.

A flood watch will go into effect Thursday at 8 a.m. with the threat of flash flooding through Friday. Between 2-4 inches of rain is possible over the southern half of our area, with locally higher amounts possible. The flooding risk is highest south of I-20.

There is also the risk for some storms to become severe.

[INTERACTIVE: StormTracker 2HD Radar]

FLOOD WATCH

Here are the counties under a flood watch for Thursday and Friday.

• Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Greene, Gwinnett
• Hancock, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee
• Paulding, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Upson, Walton

2026 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON

If the system in the western Gulf develops into a tropical storm, it will be “Arthur,” the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

There is a tropical storm warning in effect for the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Watches and warnings are upgraded based on time before arrival not strength. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions (39 mph+ winds) are expected in 36 hours or less.

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