Nicholas will likely remain in Texas from Monday to Wednesday.
September 13, 2021, 3:35 PM
• 6 min read
Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleTropical Storm Nicholas is closing in on Texas where a hurricane watch has been issued south of Galveston and schools have been canceled in Houston.
Nicholas, now churning with 60 mph winds, could strengthen to a hurricane when it makes landfall Monday night between Corpus Christi and Galveston (hurricanes have 74 mph or higher winds).
This NOAA satellite image shows Tropical Storm Nicholas, off the coastline of Texas on the morning of Sept. 13, 2021.
Nicholas is slow moving and will likely remain in Texas from Monday to Wednesday.
Tropical Storm Nicholas is closing in on Texas.
Rainfall totals will be the highest around Galveston, where 10 to 20 inches is possible.
Rainfall forecast for Tropical Storm Nicholas.
Storm surge could be as high as 5 feet south of Galveston.
Shop owners line their doors and windows with sand bags and wooden boards to keep flood water out as Tropical Storm Nicholas approaches the island, Sept. 12th, 2021 in Galveston, Texas.
For Houston, the heaviest rain will be Monday night when flash flooding is possible.
Schools in Houston will be closed on Tuesday.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in a tweet urged residents to stay off the roads.
On Tuesday, Nicholas is forecast to bring heavy rain to eastern Texas and into Louisiana. By Wednesday, some of the heavy rain will begin to reach New Orleans.
In Louisiana, where residents are still recovering from the devastating hurricanes Laura and Ida, Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency.
The rainfall could be as intense as 2 inches per hour, with a total 5 inches of rain possible.
“The most severe threat to Louisiana is in the Southwest portion of the state, where recovery from Hurricane Laura and the May flooding is ongoing. In this area heavy rain and flash flooding are possible," the governor said in a statement. "However, it is also likely that all of South Louisiana will see heavy rain this week, including areas recently affected by Hurricane Ida. This tropical storm has the potential to disrupt some power restoration and recovery work currently underway."
