Storms, floods and scorching heat grip the U.S. as World Cup and holiday travel peak

StormsStorms, floods and scorching heat grip the U.S. as World Cup and holiday travel peakWorld Cup athletes and fans in Houston may face sweltering conditions during Saturday evening’s match between the Netherlands and Sweden.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 20, 2026, 12:56 PM EDTBy Denise ChowSevere storms, flash flooding and extreme heat are battering parts of the Plains, Midwest and the South this weekend, threatening to disrupt World Cup fans, athletes and holiday travelers alike.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Flood watches remain in effect across the South, including in eastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, as remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur sweep through the region.Preliminary rainfall totals in Louisiana on Friday may have set a new state record. The existing record stands at 22 inches of precipitation in 24 hours; an estimated 29 inches fell in Cottonport during that same window on Friday, with preliminary measurements of 22 inches recorded in Plaucheville and 17 inches in Simmesport near the Atchafalaya River.Additional heavy rain this weekend in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi — already waterlogged from Thursday and Friday’s storms — could trigger further flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service. The agency cautioned that “the very moist airmass in place and saturated soils from the last week mean that locally significant flash flooding is a possibility if a storm sits over one place for too long.”The Plains and parts of the Midwest face storm threats as well, with potentially dire consequences for Saturday evening’s World Cup match between Ecuador and Curaçao in Kansas City. Flood watches are in effect in Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois and Indiana, where thunderstorms could produce dangerous flash flooding.Much of Nebraska, Kansas and easternmost Colorado may se...