Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, weakened to a low pressure area Wednesday night after moving along the upper Texas coast. However, forecasters warned that its remnants could bring heavy rains and potentially life-threatening flooding to parts of the Southeastern United States.The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Arthur was expected to weaken as it moved inland through southeastern Texas and western Louisiana before dissipating across the Southeast by Friday. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph (55 kph).Although coastal watches and warnings were discontinued Wednesday night, officials said flooding remained a significant threat in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle.“Arthur’s main threat will be a prolonged, multi-day heavy rainfall event that could cause dangerous and potentially life-threatening flooding,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center.Forecasters said Arthur could drop between 5 and 10 inches of rain in affected areas, with up to 20 inches of rain in isolated locations. The storm could also produce dangerous surf and rip currents along the northwestern Gulf Coast, while the potential for tornadoes will remain through Thursday.Gulf Coast communities spent the day preparing for flooding by clearing drainage systems, removing debris and distributing sandbags. In Louisiana and Mississippi, residents stocked up on supplies as emergency officials deployed boats, barricades and other equipment to flood-prone areas.“It had already rained so much at our house that we thought it would be a good idea to get some bags,” said Luke Barwick, a resident of Covington, Louisiana, after collecting sandbags at a local distribution center.Parts of Mississippi were already struggling with the effects of heavy rainfall. Officials in Picayune declared a state of emergency after nearly seven inches of rain fell in six hours, causing heavy rain in some areas. The city later distributed thousands of sandbags and kept emergency crews on standby.The storm loomed over coastal Texas on the same day that Houston hosted a FIFA World Cup match between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The match took place as scheduled inside a covered stadium despite adverse weather conditions outside.Officials have also linked the storm’s heavy rainfall to a string of drownings near Houston. A 15-year-old boy died after entering a flooded pond near a construction site, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities warned again about the dangers posed by floodwaters.Arthur developed from a disorganized group of storms that loomed over the Gulf Coast for several days. While the system weakened shortly after being named, meteorologists stressed that rainfall rather than wind remains the primary threat.Forecasters said the storm’s center was moving northeast off the Texas coast, adding that its exact landfall location was less important because heavy rains had already spread across a wide area of the Gulf Coast and the Southeastern United States.